Marcos Leonardo struck 11 minutes from time as Al Hilal edged a dramatic 3–2 win over a stubborn Nasaf in Qarshi to maintain a perfect start to the league phase. In a see-saw night that saw — Sergej Milinković-Savić's opener, Sardorbek Bakhromov's rocket, Theo Hernández's solo effort, and a cool Javokir Sidikov reply—the 22-year-old waited for his moment. On 79', he burst clear to finish decisively, applying the final touch to a move sparked by Milinković-Savić, sealing the points for the visitors.

A skipper's shift: restless running, nimble feet, and vision that set the tone. Right after the restart, Brahimi slid a measured pass for Joselu to break the deadlock, then—barely three minutes later—arched a precise cross that Ferjani Sassi guided beyond Ahmed Basil to double the lead. Any time Al Gharafa needed a spark in the final third, the Algerian was the reference point.

Box-to-box industry with clarity. Esmaeilifar read danger early, won key duels, and stitched Tractor's phases together with tidy choices in traffic. His recovery runs flipped into springboard transitions, and his decision-making under pressure kept Tractor front-footed when the match threatened to swing.

The Polish No.9 was central to a four-goal thriller at the Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium. He sparked the opener by flicking on a long pass for Adil Boubina before Edmilson Junior pounced on the rebound, then rose high to cancel out Riyad Mahrez's strike with a thumping header. Early in the second half, he attacked Edmilson's delivery and crashed a finish into the top corner; moments later, he was inches from a brace. Against the unbeaten, reigning champions, Piatek gave Al Duhail a focal point that turned pressure into chances.

A night of acceptable margins belonged to the goalkeeper who kept his nerve. Barsham guessed right from the spot—diving left to deny Caio Lucas —and backed it up with a reflex stop from Rei Manaj at 61’. Commanding under crosses, crisp with his positioning, he organised the line through second-phase chaos. Only Caio's near-post finish from Adel Taarabt's scooped pass beat him, and his composure under the high ball preserved a hard-earned point for Al Sadd.

Between the lines, Cartabia made pockets look like playgrounds—one touch to settle, the next to split. He dropped in to help progression, then burst beyond to finish moves, balancing craft with graft throughout. When Shabab Al Ahli needed clarity in the final ball, the Argentine provided it with cool choices under the heat.

Araki anchored Sanfrecce with aerial dominance and calm distribution, as a corner kick in the 19th minute led to the opening goal by the defender. The 29-year old easily fended off Wumitijiang Yusupu’s attention to power a header home from Shunki Higashi’s outswinging cross. The J-League side’s hope for three points was canceled out late in the game, when substitute Souza picked up the ball just inside Sanfrecce’s half, ran unchallenged and fired a low shot past Osako.

The right-back kick-started Seoul's first win of the campaign with a striker's run and finish, meeting Lucas Silva’s inch-perfect cross to open the scoring. From there, he gave width, overlaps, and recovery speed that stretched Buriram and snuffed out breaks. A 3–0 cruise owed plenty to Choi Jun's all-action lane control.

A captain's strike to crown a captain's performance. Chow set Chengdu's rhythm by screening with bite, then using the first pass to break lines. He flipped the game with a venomous volley after latching onto Yang Shuai's header—an emphatic finish that lit up Phoenix Hill and delivered the first three points of the campaign.

Authority in the box, bravery off the line — Syihan earned JDT a valuable point. He smothered Asahi Masuyama’s shot at point-blank range from a 17’ corner and later stood tall to deny Henry Mochizuki, pairing reflexes with clean handling on a flurry of crosses. With clear communication and sharp positioning, he maintained a clean sheet and a steady platform.

What’s better than a goal? It must be a last-minute goal that also turned out to be a winner! Koya Yuruki's last-minute heroics see the hosts break down Melbourne City's defensive wall to continue their winning streak. The J1 League winger made a decent run through the defence; however, his first attempt was blocked by the visitor's goalkeeper. Quick feet combined with luck, Yuruki did not waste the rebound and scored a crucial goal for his team, winning three valuable points for his side.

The 24-year-old was calm and clinical with his first-touch finish to put Shanghai Shenhua ahead of the clash at Ulsan HD. The striker from Equatorial Guinea thought his fine goal could give the Chinese Super League side a first win in the elite competition, but Gustav Ludwigson scored in the second half to earn Tae-Yong Shin’s side a 1-1 draw.