“In the second half, our game was a little different, the advantage went more to the opponents. If we had scored the second goal, we would have been more calm. But in the end, victory with a narrow margin is also pleasing.”

Dragan Skocic was pleased to see Tractor FC pass a stiff test against PFC Nasaf with a 1-0 win.

“Saudi clubs are big and play at a high level. When you face them, you want to win. Saudi teams are strong, they have high-calibre players, and they have a strong league."

Djamel Belmadi was filled with pride following Al Duhail SC's stunning 4-2 win against Al Ittihad Club.

“It was a very good win for our team against opponents who have been performing very well in the league – this makes our victory more significant."

Paulo Sousa praised his Shabab Al Ahli side for sticking to the plan in their 2-0 win against Al Gharafa SC.

“We deserved to win because we studied Al Ahli Saudi well. They could have won even with their second-tier players, and we also didn't field eight key players in this match.”

Sharjah FC head coach Abdulmajid Al Nimr credited his team’s thorough preparation for their 1-0 victory over defending champions Al Ahli Saudi FC.

“We wanted to control a little bit in the first half because we knew we were fitter because we had an additional day of rest compared to them but they are a good team with a good squad."

Jose Morais highlighted Al Wahda FC's fitness for the win against Al Sadd SC, with victory sealing the UAE side's Round of 16 ticket.

 “After the fifth match, there's a clear gap in the standings between the teams that have already qualified and the rest. Now we have three more league stage matches ahead of us, and we're striving to finish in first place.”

Simone Inzaghi does not want Al Hilal SFC to slow down despite having already booked their Round of 16 ticket with five wins.

“We tried to make the changes to keep the energy up, especially in the midfield. Overall, we did well and fantastic for what we’ve done so far in this competition.”

Aurelio Vidmar praised his Melbourne City FC players for maintaining their focus in the 2-0 win against Johor Darul Ta’zim.

“We know they are strong and had just won the league. Coming here was always going to be tough but I believed in the team. In our team, the best thing is that we have no ego."

Jesse Lingard paid tribute to FC Seoul’s determination and spirit after their impressive 3-1 win against Shanghai Port FC.

“We came here two days after winning the Emperor’s Cup but were still able to field fresh players like (Keiya) Sento and (Hokuto) Shimoda, who scored the goals."

Go Kuroda said FC Machida Zelvia's squad depth secured a valuable win against Gangwon FC.

“I think you can see that every single player went out and gave 100 percent. We fought for every ball until the last second and showed who Chengdu are, we showed our style and for that, I’m proud.”

Captain Tim Chow praised Chengdu Rongcheng FC for their character in the 1-1 draw with Sanfrecce Hiroshima.

 “We clearly saw the quality of our attacking players and focused on two aspects. Defensively, we made sure to stay disciplined and organised to keep a clean sheet. Offensively, we aimed to create good opportunities and take our chances when they came."

Yosuke Ideguchi hailed Vissel Kobe's drive after their 2-0 win against Shanghai Shenhua.

“It was our home match, we really wanted to win. We wanted the victory, but we couldn’t get it, so of course there’s some disappointment there. The players who came on showed great effort until the very end and I’m grateful for the way they kept pushing and worked hard throughout."

Ulsan HD head coach Roh Sang-rae praised his players’ commitment despite his side being held to a 0-0 draw by Buriram United.