Sydney FC have stunned Chinese powerhouse Shanghai Shenhua 2-1 in a dream debut for the A-League club in the Asian Champions League.

Two superb goals from Steve Corica and Ufuk Talay in the opening 25 minutes secured Sydney a famous victory - an Australian club's first in the ACL - at a freezing Yuanshen Sports Stadium in Shanghai.

Shenhua substitute Xie Hui pegged one goal back in the 78th minute, but Sydney held firm under intense pressure to claim the most valuable of away wins in their first game under interim coach Branko Culina.

With only the top club from each four-team group progressing to the quarter-finals of the Champions League, Sydney landed a massive blow for their final eight hopes.

They join Urawa Red Diamonds at the top of group E after the Japanese champions beat Indonesia's Persik Kediri 3-0 at home. Sydney and group favourite Urawa clash at Aussie Stadium in the second round on March 21.

After a calamitous end to the A-League which saw Sydney knocked out in the first round of the finals and then sack coach Terry Butcher, the inaugural A-League champions returned to form in a big way.

Despite temperatures nearing zero degrees, Corica got Sydney off to a scorching start with his goal in just the eighth minute.

The veteran midfielder, who has been granted a more attacking role under Culina, timed his run perfectly into the box before allowing David Carney's chip kick to fall over his shoulder and volleying home.

Talay's 23rd-minute strike was even more impressive, the midfielder's 25-metre pile-driver cannoning into the back of the net.

Alex Brosque nearly made it 3-0 late in the first half, but his close-range shot hit the post.

Shanghai were booed by their home fans at halftime, but came out firing after the break.

They came perilously close to scoring from a goal-mouth scrap in the 46th minute before captain Jiang Kun's dangerous free-kick just shaded the left upright.

Chang Lin's free-kick then rebounded off the bar in the 72nd, before Xie Hui set up a grandstand finish with his 78th minute headed goal.

Sydney, though, held firm to claim a victory which must rank near their 2006 grand final success and triumph over African champions Al Ahly at the 2005 Club World Championship.

Despite having just three weeks with the team since his appointment, Culina has already made an obvious impact at Sydney with the Blues playing free flowing football for much of the game.

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