
Domestic Leagues
Follow the-AFC.com as we look at what Asia’s finest have been up to in Europe this past week.
Manchester City’s Uzbekistan international Abdukodir Khusanov put the ball into his own net in the 48th minute as his side drew 2-2 with Brighton, who fielded Japanese international Kaoru Mitoma for 83 minutes in their English Premier League tie.
Australian Cameron Burgess stepped in after the break as relegation-threatened Ipswich Town lost 4-2 to Nottingham Forest. Ipswich, 18th in the table, have not won in 10 league games.
Japan international defender Yukinari Sugawara played 69 minutes for Southampton in their 2-1 loss to Wolves. The Saints, anchored at the bottom with nine points, became the fourth side in English top-flight history to lose nine straight home games in the same season.
Korea Republic international and Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-min assisted the second goal in their 3-1 defeat of the Netherland’s AZ Alkmaar in the second leg of their Europa League last-16 tie. Tottenham are into the quarters after winning 3-2 on aggregate.
Son also came on after the break in Tottenham’s 2-0 league defeat to Fulham, a result which sees them staying in 13th place.
Scotland: Goals for Maeda, Hatate and Boyle
Japan internationals Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate both got on the scoresheet in Celtic’s 3-2 loss to Rangers - the Premiership leaders’ first league home defeat since December 2023 and Ranger’s first win at Celtic Park since 2020.
Maeda scored in the 49th minute while Hatate struck in the 74th in a match that also saw their teammate Yang Hyun-jun of Korea Republic come on in the 70th minute.
Hibernian captain and Australian international Martin Boyle scored in the first half of their 1-1 draw with Kilmarnock. His compatriots Nectarios Triantis, Jack Iredale and Lewis Miller all played the full match.
Australian international Calem Nieuwenhof played 66 minutes for Hearts in their 2-0 win over Ross County, who played his fellow international Josh Nisbet for the full game.
Aberdeen FC’s Palestine forward Oday Dabbagh played 68 minutes in their goalless draw with St Johnstone. Aberdeen remain third in the table and are unbeaten in 14 Premiership games.
Australia’s Ryan Strain played a full match for Dundee United as they lost 4-2 to Dundee FC, the latter’s first away derby victory over their neighbours at Tannadice Park since 2004.
German: Freiburg’s Doan plays his part
Japan international Ritsu Doan assisted in the 79th minute as SC Freiburg drew 2-2 with Mainz, who fielded his compatriot Kaishu Sano and Korea Republic’s Lee Jae-sung for the full match.

Bayern Munich failed to win their second consecutive Bundesliga game as they were held 1-1 by Union Berlin. The league leaders sent on Japan’s Hiroki Ito eight minutes before the end of regulation time while Berlin played Korea Republic midfielder Jeong Woo-yeong for 82 minutes.
Japan international Ko Itakura played a full match for Borussia Monchengladbach in their 4-2 win over Werder Bremen. His compatriot Shuto Machino of Holstein Kiel, meanwhile, played 56 minutes in his side’s 3-1 loss to FC Heidenheim.
St Pauli’s Australian captain Jackson Irvine played 90 minutes as they beat Hoffenheim 1-0.
Netherlands: Ueda strikes twice for Feyenoord
Ayase Ueda grabbed a brace in Feyenoord’s 6-2 demolition of FC Twente, with the Japan international striker finding the back of the net in the 10th and 23rd minutes. His teammate and Korea Republic international Hwang In-Beom played 46 minutes while Twente’s Indonesia international defender Mees Hilgers played 81 minutes.
Hilgers’ fellow international Thom Haye played a full match for Almere City while Iraq international Ali Jasim came on in the 79th minute in their 1-1 draw with Nac Breeda, whose Australian international midfielder Max Balard was on the pitch for 90 minutes.
FC Utrecht’s Iraqi international Zidane Iqbal played 84 minutes in their 1-0 loss to NEC Nijmegen, who fielded Indonesian international Calvin Verdonk for the full match and brought in Japan’s Kento Shiogai in the 75th minute.
Japan U23 international Shunsuke Mito played the first half in Sparta Rotterdam’s 1-1 draw with PEC Zwolle.
Heerenveen drew 1-1 with Heracles, with the former’s Islamic Republic of Iran international Alireza Jahanbakhsh playing a full match.
France: Onaiwu gets his first Auxerre assist
Auxerre’s Japanese forward Ado Onaiwu, who has two goals this season, came on in the 76th minute and claimed his first assist four minutes into injury time in their 1-1 draw with Nice.
Korea Republic international midfielder Lee Kang-in stepped on in the 80th minute as Paris Saint-Germain beat Marseille 3-1 to extend their Ligue 1 lead over their second-placed opponents to 19 points.
Monaco, who are third in the table, fielded Japan international Takumi Minamino in their 2-0 win over Angers.
Lens’ Socceroo custodian Mathew Ryan kept a second successive clean sheet in their 1-0 win over Rennes, who played Japan’s Kyogo Furuhashi for 70 minutes. Lens are eighth in the table while Rennes sit four spots below.
Japan’s Keito Nakamura and Hiroki Sekine made full appearances in Reims’ goalless draw with Brest while their teammate Junya Ito came on in the 64th minute.
Italy: Idzes’ Venezia winless stretch continues
Indonesia’s national team captain and Venezia skipper Jay Idzes played 90 minutes as his side drew 0-0 with Napoli. Venezia’s winless run is now at 13 matches as they remain second from the bottom in the standings.

Uzbekistan’s national team captain Eldor Shomurodov was involved from the 72nd minute in Roma’s 1-0 defeat of Cagliari, which saw his side go 13 consecutive Serie A matches unbeaten.
Inter’s Iran international Mehdi Taremi, who played a full match in their 2-1 win over Feyenoord in their Champions League last-16 second-leg tie, made an appearance in the 91st minute in his side’s 2-0 league win over Atalanta.
Zion Suzuki let conceded once in Parma’s 1-1 draw with bottom club Monza, extending the former’s winless streak to three games.
Spain: Asano bags second La Liga goal
Mallorca’s forward Takuma Asano scored in the 65th minute for his second La Liga goal of the season as his side beat Espanyol 2-1. The Japanese international was substituted in the 84th minute.
His compatriot Takefusa Kubo, who is in search for his sixth goal of the season. played a full match in Real Sociedad’s 2-2 draw with Rayo Vallecano.
Belgium: Al Ghamdi’s Beerschot falter again
Beerschot’s Saudi Arabia international Faisal Al Ghamdi played a full match while his fellow international Marwan Al Sahafi was substituted in the 60th minute in their 2-1 loss to Westerlo, who played Japan’s Isa Sakamoto for 63 minutes.
Beerschot remain at the bottom of the Belgian Pro League, having won only three of their 30 matches this season.
Photos: AFP