Obafemi Martins's goal in the first half helped Shanghai Greenland beat 1-0 Shanghai SIPG in the first leg of the final of the Chinese Football Association (CFA) Cup, leaving their arch rivals a tough battle in the second leg.
Greenland midfielder Qin Sheng's through ball released the winger Cao Yunding on 17 minutes, but his angled drive rattled the upright.
Greenland broke the deadlock in the 38th minute as Liu Ruofan sprinted down to the right after a give and go with Cao Yunding and rolled cross for Martins to slot the ball into the empty net.
The hosts almost embellished their lead just 7 minutes after the interval as Giovanni Moreno's attempt in melee was denied by keeper Yan Junling on goal-line.
SIPG had strong penalty appeals as Oscar fell down under Fredy Guarin's challenge, but the referee waved play on, and the Brazilian was booked for diving.
The visitors missed a good opportunity as the substitute Wei Shihao's diving header hit the woodwork.
"It's a tough game, we have been trying to score, but Greenland's formation is very compact, we should have a better performance. Our priority is the second leg, I hope that we can win the title," said SIPG coach Andre Villas-Boas.
The decider will be at SIPG's home soil on Nov. 26, and the winner will move into AFC Champions League automatically.
