Al Hilal v Al Ittihad – 2011

Saudi Arabia’s two AFC Champions League winners, Al Ittihad and Al Hilal clashed on several occasions on the continental front, producing some memorable moments, and in terms of goals, none comes close to Abdulaziz Al Dawsari’s exquisite strike in the round of 16 of the 2011 edition.

With his side trailing 3-0 with just eight minutes left in Jeddah, Al Dawsari took matters into his own hands, carrying the ball forward and dancing past two defenders before expertly lobbing from outside the box, leaving the Al Ittihad goalkeeper rooted to the spot. Unfortunately for Al Dawsari, his moment of brilliance proved to be merely consolation for Al Hilal who were eliminated with a 3-1 loss.

Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma v Nagoya Grampus, 2012

Seongnam fans will never forget Heverton for his memorable strike against Nagoya Grampus back in 2012. Trailing by a goal going into the 93rd minute, the Korean side won a throw-in and what followed next was scarcely believable.

The ball was launched into the box with Everton Santos going for a bicycle kick with Heverton then following up with his own overhead effort in a unique tandem goal that will live long in the memory of Asian football fans.

Andranik Teymourian

Esteghlal v Buriram United, 2013

Esteghlal travelled to the Isan region of Thailand for the second leg of the 2013 quarter-finals with a 1-0 lead over Buriram United. The two sides exchanged goals either side of the break, leaving the Iranians with the aggregate lead going into the final minutes, but IR Iran legend Andranik Teymourian had to sign off on the win in tremendous fashion.

The midfielder collected the ball some 40 yards away from goal, nutmegged an opponent on the half-turn then unleashed an unstoppable drive that whistled into the top corner of the Buriram United net to seal a 2-1 victory on the night and a 3-1 aggregate win, sending Esteghlal into the semi-finals.

Ha Dae-sung

FC Seoul v Esteghlal, 2013

In 2013, FC Seoul travelled to the Azadi Stadium aiming to reach the final for the first time in the AFC Champions League era, but they knew they were not only up against an Esteghlal side but also a vociferous 88,000+ in Tehran.

But it was Ha Dae-sung who silenced the large majority in the crowd when a corner fell to his feet around the edge of the box. Displaying mesmerising wizardry, he brought the ball under control with a first touch around his legs before sending a delicate chip to lob the goalkeeper in a goal that can truly be called “Poetry in Motion”.

Guangzhou Evergrande v Kashiwa Reysol, 2015

Very few players have made a more spectacular AFC Champions League debut than Paulinho, who was signed for Guangzhou FC from Tottenham Hotspur by legendary tactician Luiz Felipe Scolari and what a first impression he made!

The midfielder rifled a long-range free-kick that swerved before going into the net in the quarter-finals first leg away to Kashiwa Reysol. Having also gone on to play for FC Barcelona, Paulinho later remarked “I think that’s one of the landmark goals in my career.”

Al Taawoun v Lokomotiv - 2017

On their continental debut in 2017, Al Taawoun were involved in one of the most entertaining matches in the AFC Champions League history, playing out a 4-4 draw with Lokomotiv in Tashkent.

The pick of the goals was the opener from midfielder Abdulmajeed Al Sawat, who channelled his inner Diego Maradona inside 18 minutes, embarking on a mazy run of 40 yards, dancing past five Uzbek players to arrive inside the box and coolly slot home with his left for one of the everlasting memories for the Buraydah-based club.

Hulk
Shanghai SIPG vs Urawa Red Diamonds - 2017

Next up is another famous Brazilian, Hulk, whose solo effort against eventual champions Urawa Red Diamonds is reminiscent of a prime Brazilian Ronaldo terrifying opposition defences.

Picking the ball up just past the halfway line, Hulk muscled his way past three Urawa defenders before a clinical low shot into the net, and not even their famous centre-back Tomoaki Makino could stop him with his last-ditch challenge in a goal that justifies his name in the footballing world.

PFC Lokomotiv v Al Wahda – 2018

Uzbek side PFC Lokomotiv might not have made it past the group stage, but they started their 2018 campaign in style, romping to a 5-0 triumph over UAE’s Al Wahda at home. With the visitors leading 1-0, they started the second 45 minutes strongly and within eight minutes of the restart, Ikromjon Alibaev produced a moment of magic that will live in the memory of Asian football fans for a long time.

The midfielder beat an opponent to pick the ball up inside his team’s half of the centre circle, then without hesitation aimed a lobbed effort from behind the halfway line into the back of the opposition net, leaving goalkeeper Rashed Ali in no man’s land as the Lokomotiv Stadium erupted into a standing ovation.

Johor Darul Ta’zim v Shandong Taishan, 2019

Moving on to a strike that was adjudged by fans as the AFC Champions League Goal of the Decade, with Safawi Rasid shining for Malaysian newcomers Johor Darul Ta’zim in 2019 after a four-year wait to finally make their competition debut since lifting the AFC Cup™ in 2015.

The JDT star glided past Shandong’s Wu Xinghan and then sent a sweet curling strike into the top corner to stun the Jinan crowd. Just one of those goals you could watch on repeat over and over again!

Al Nassr v Foolad - 2021

Over the course of his AFC Champions League career, Abderrazak Hamdallah scored 28 goals with five different clubs, and while those included some beauties, none can match his solo effort in the 2021 group stage against Iranian side Foolad.

The Moroccan striker had been the top scorer of the previous edition and was already up and running in 2021 when his then side Al Nassr hosted Foolad. Late in the game, Hamdallah moved into space behind the defence, controlled a long ball, nutmegged a defender and cheekily dinked it over the goalkeeper to the awe of the home crowd.