Italian Striker Graziano Pelle's goal in the first half helped Shangdong Luneng beat Shanghai Shenhua 1-0 in the first leg of the final of the Chinese Football Association (CFA) Cup, leaving Greenland a tough battle in the second leg.

In the first half, both sides had few chances. Shandong Luneng broke the deadlock in the 40th minute after Pelle's penalty.

In the second half, Shandong Luneng came close to extending the lead as Wu Xinghan's curling drive touched around the post.

Shanghai Shenhua tried to find an equalizer, but their efforts were well saved by Luneng's goalkeeper Wang Dalei.

"Thanks to the players, we won the game and got a clean sheet. It was a good result for us," said Luneng's head coach Li Xiaopeng.

The decider will be on Shenhua's home field on December 6, and the winner will move into AFC Champions League automatically.

(Cover: Graziano Pelle of Shandong Luneng controls the ball during the 1st leg of the CFA Cup final in Jinan, Shandong Province, China, November 1, 2019. /VCG Photo)