The A-League's failure to match the rapid improvement of Asian football has put Western Sydney's continental success five years ago into sharp perspective, according to veteran Wanderers forward Mark Bridge.

Despite a star-studded squad featuring the likes of Keisuke Honda and Ola Toivonen, Melbourne Victory began their AFC Champions League campaign on Tuesday night with a disappointing 3-1 defeat to South Korean side Daegu FC.

Rare feat: Mark Bridge says it'll be a long time before another A-League team replicates Western Sydney's AFC Champions League success. Credit:Reuters

Victory were seen as the best hope of Australian success in the tournament for some time, but the first-up loss at home puts them immediately behind the eight ball in their pursuit to qualify from Group F.

Sydney FC, meanwhile, meet Ulsan Hyundai on Wednesday night in their Champions League opener - needing a win to give them any genuine hope of advancing from an even tougher Group H.