Roger Ibanez - Al Ahli Saudi FC  
Al Ahli Saudi centre-back Roger Ibanez has a knack of picking out attackers from his own half. And it was on display against Al Wasl as he expertly found Riyad Mahrez in the opposition box with an inch-perfect aerial ball that the Algerian perfectly controlled before finishing with aplomb.  

 

Bradley Tapp - Central Coast Mariners 
Central Coast Mariners centre-back Brad Tapp made a fantastic assist to help Nicholas Duarte score against Shanghai Port. With Li Shuai dragged wide by an overlapping run from Sasha Kuzevski, Trapp saw a gap open up in the defence and did not hesitate to send Duarte through to fire home.

Suphanat Mueanta - Buriram United  
Suphanat Mueanta did not even have to look to find his teammate Guilherme Bissoli, waiting in the middle to score against Gwangju. Suphanat slipped in behind two defenders to receive a pass in the box and crossed on the turn to pick out Bissoli who found the back of the net with a first-time effort.  

 

Vahid Amiri - Persepolis FC 
It took Persepolis less than one minute to net against Pakhtakor, and it was thanks to a delicate touch from Vahid Amiri. With his backheel, Amiri flicked Farshad Ahmadzadeh’s corner onto the path of an unmarked Ali Alipour who gave the Iranians the lead.  

Mahmoud Al Mawas - Al Shorta SC  
Mahmoud Al Mawas was key as Al Shorta earned a point against Esteghlal in the League Stage. Ameer Saba’s corner seemed to be heading out after it was flicked on by Ayoub Mouddane. But Al Mawas, fully stretched, managed to keep it in play at the back post for Rewan Amin to score. 

 

Abdulrahman Ghareeb - Al Nassr Club 
Abdulrahman Ghareeb produced some nimble footwork to help Al Nassr’s Cristiano Ronaldo score against Al Rayyan. Ghareeb’s trickery helped him evade two defenders at the edge of the box before finding an unmarked Ronaldo, who curled it in.

Takahiro Ohgihara - Vissel Kobe 
Takahiro Ohgihara’s free-kick into the box for Vissel Kobe’s Yuya Osako was every striker’s delight. The Japanese side won a free-kick against Shanghai Port on the right and Ohgihara’s inswinging left-footed delivery was turned in by Osako with the finest of volleys. 

 

Akram Afif - Al Sadd SC 
Trailing Al Wasl in the first leg of the last-16 tie, Al Sadd probed for an equaliser and Akram Afif helped them find it as he showed excellent vision to curl a cross towards the far post where Abdulla Alyazidi arrived to head in.

Afiq Fazail - Johor Darul Ta'zim 
Johor Darul Ta’zim’s 3-0 win against Ulsan HD was sealed by Bergson who latched onto a brilliant ball over the top from Malaysia midfielder Afiq Fazail. It was Afiq’s first appearance in Asia’s top-tier club competition this season and one that the Johor fans will remember for long.  

 

Anderson Lopes - Yokohama F.Marinos 
Anderson Lopes not only was on the scoresheet for Yokohama F. Marinos but also provided a delightful assist when he cushioned a ball into the box into the path of Kota Watanabe to reduce the deficit in a 4-1 loss to Al Nassr. 

Erison - Kawasaki Frontale  
Erison did all the hard work as Akihiro Ienaga scored to send Kawasaki Frontale into the final at Al Nassr’s expense. Starting near the corner flag, the Brazilian made it into the box along the byline by beating two defenders before cutting it back for Ienaga to turn home to make it 3-1 in an eventual 3-2 victory. 

 

Riyad Mahrez - Al Ahli Saudi FC 
Riyad Mahrez produced a stunning slide-rule pass to help Ivan Toney double Al Ahli Saudi’s lead against Al Hilal in the semi-final. Mahrez’s pass played between two defenders set Toney through on goal to round the ‘keeper and finish in the 3-1 win for Matthias Jaissle’s side.  

Roberto Firmino - Al Ahli Saudi FC 
In the big moment, big-game player Roberto Firmino stepped up as he created both of Al Ahli Saudi’s goals in the final against Kawasaki Frontale. The second of those – a cross on the turn – made it as straightforward for Franck Kessie to head in and make it 2-0.  

 

Jasir Asani - Gwangju FC 
Jasir Asani, hat-trick hero of the game, showed calmness and composure to pick out Beka Mikeltadze in the middle in Gwangju’s thrilling 7-3 win against Yokohama F. Marinos. Asani shifted the ball onto his left foot near the byline before finding the substitute with a precise cross that his teammate finished on the half volley.  

 

Joao Cancelo - Al Hilal SFC  
Played through into the right side of the box, Al Hilal right-back Joao Cancelo lifted the ball first time into the centre for Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, who rose to head home the cross in a roller-coaster 5-4 victory against 2023/24 Asian champions Al Ain.