Shandong Luneng coach Branko Ivankovic was proud of his players for finishing their Asian Champions League campaign on a bright note.

The Chinese outfit produced a solid defensive display to defeat Adelaide United 1-0 away and although the result did not allow them to progress to the next phase, their Croatian mentor was happy to see them grab a victory.

"I am very happy because of the result and the result is excellent for us, 1-0, especially when you win away," said Ivankovic.

"I want to congratulate my players because they left their hearts on the field and they wanted to go out, finish the competition with a proud honest performance and I congratulate them.

"I'm very happy about the defensive line because we didn't have three regular players or a recognised sweeper.

"Our left back, number 16 (Zheng Zheng) played sweeper for the first time, and I'm really satisfied with the whole team."

Ivankovic added that the experience gained by the young players would hold the team in good stead for the future, whether it be in the Chinese Super League or in Champions League matches down the track.

"Today we played a lot of young players, who haven't had much chance so far in the domestic league, and especially in the ACL," he added.

"I am very happy with my young players especially Li. He hasn't played any games up to now and he scored.

"I'm really happy and this is a good step for us. We know that Adelaide were favourites tonight, but we showed character and personality and we were had hope we could do something here."