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Europe Wrap: Eventful week for Japan’s best
Kuala Lumpur: Japan striker Daizen Maeda netted his first goal in the English Premier League as the 28-year-old made his seventh start for Ipswich Town while international teammate Takefusa Kubo claimed his first La Liga strike of the season when he opened for Real Sociedad.
Samurai Blue midfielder Daichi Kamada secured his first Europa League goal for Crystal Palace in the same match that saw Lyon’s Japan striker Keito Nakamura assist twice, so follow the-AFC.com as we look at what Asia’s finest have been up to in Europe.

England: Maeda cheer in Ipswich loss
Daizen Maeda struck in the 21st minute as Ipswich Town went down 3-2 to Manchester City, who sent on Uzbekistan defender Abdukodir Khusanov in the 76th. City made it seven straight wins at the start of a Premier League season for the first time in their history. 

Crystal Palace’s Japan midfielder Daichi Kamada, who netted in a 3-2 loss to Ligue 1 side Lyon in their Europa League fixture earlier in the week, started in a 5-0 Premier League loss to Brighton. 
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Japan midfielder Tatsuhiro Sakamoto made a 61st-minute appearance in Coventry City’s emphatic 4-1 victory over Newcastle United, marking their first Premier League victory at home in 25 years.  

Newcastle later fell 1-0 to Aston Villa, whose Japan custodian Zion Suzuki kept his second clean sheet of the season. 
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Hull City started Australia international Lucas Herrington and sent on Japan’s Hidemasa Morita in the 75th minute in a 1-0 loss to Fulham, who secured their first league win.  

Japan midfielder Ao Tanaka was on the pitch for 81 minutes as Leeds United came from behind to snatch a 1-1 draw with Manchester United. The stalemate extended his side’s unbeaten home run in all competitions since March. 

Scotland: Strain assists in Falkirk win
Australia right-back Ryan Strain set up Falkirk’s first goal in the 13th minute in a 2-1 win over Hibernian, who started Australia striker Martin Boyle and brought on fellow international Ante Suto in the 76th minute.

Motherwell sent on Australia defender John Koutroumbis in the 81st minute in a 3-2 loss to Kilmarnock, marking the 28-year-old’s second appearance this season.
Iraq midfielder Zidane Iqbal played a full match for Dundee United in a 1-1 draw with St Johnstone. Australia’s Zachary Sapsford came on for United in the 63rd minute. 

Rangers’ Korea Republic winger Kim Min-su was in action for 76 minutes in a 2-2 stalemate with Dundee.

Germany: Machida back with a bang
Hoffenheim’s Japan defender Koki Machida, who returned in September after a 13-month layoff and netted his first goal in a 3-2 loss to Besiktas in the Europa League, started in a 2-1 Bundesliga win over Borussia M’gladbach, who featured his international teammate Shuto Machino, Indonesia defender Kevin Diks and Japan’s Zento Uno. 
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Eintracht Frankfurt’s Japan midfielder Ritsu Doan played a full match in a 1-0 win over Koln.

Korea Republic defender Seol Young-woo made a 74th-minute appearance for Augsburg in a 4-3 loss to Elvesberg.
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Japan midfielder Kaishu Sano and Korea Republic international Lee Jae-sung started for Mainz 05 as they carved out a 1-0 win over Schalke, who featured Japan’s Satoshi Tanaka and brought on Korea Republic international Hwang Hee-chan in the 60th minute. 

Paderborn featured Philippines defender Raphael Obermair in a 2-2 draw with Werder Bremen. 
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Korea Republic defender Kim Min-jae was in action for 77 minutes in Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich’s 6-1 demolition of RB Leipzig.

Third-placed Freiburg featured Japan international Keisuke Goto for 65 minutes in a 2-1 loss to Bayer Leverkusen, which saw his side fall to their first defeat in six starts. 

Netherlands: Winless week for Indonesia backline
Go Ahead Eagles started Indonesia defender Dean James in a 4-1 loss to PEC Zwolle, which consigned his side to their sixth winless match.

His fellow international and Willem II defender Nathan Tjoe-A-On featured in a 3-2 loss to Sparta Rotterdam.

Another Indonesia defender, Justin Hubner, played a full match in Fortuna Sittard’s 2-2 tie with NEC Nijmegen.
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Japan midfielder Kodai Sano started for Eredivisie champions PSV Eindhoven as they lost 2-1 to newly promoted ADO Den Haag in what was their second defeat of the season. 

Feyenoord’s Japan defender Tsuyoshi Watanabe was in action for 90 minutes as the league leaders beat Telstar 4-3 to claim their ninth unbeaten match. 

France: Nakamura goes up and down
Japan striker Keito Nakamura, who shone in Lyon’s 3-2 win over Crystal Palace in the Europa League, was dismissed in the 70th minute in Lyon’s 2-1 Ligue 1 win over Nice, which saw his side move to the top of the standings.
 
Indonesia centre-back Calvin Verdonk stepped on in the 54th minute for Lille in a 1-1 draw with Brest.

Australia keeper Patrick Beach was on the losing end in Troyes’ 3-1 defeat to Lens, who sent on Saudi Arabia defender Saud Abdulhamid in the 72nd minute.
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Le Havre started Japan’s Sota Nakamura and brought on countryman Kaito Mizuta in the 85th minute in a 3-1 loss to Auxerre. 

Japan midfielder Takumi Minamino was in action for 52 minutes for Monaco as Lorient consigned them to their first defeat in seven starts with a 1-0 win. 
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Rennes’ Jordan midfielder Mousa Al Tamari made a second-half appearance in a 4-3 loss to Paris FC, with Esteban Lepaul scoring all three of Rennes’ goals from penalties. 

Italy: Volpato’s Sassuolo winless in three
Australia striker Cristian Volpato came on in the 83rd minute in Sassuolo’s 4-2 loss to Frosinone to go without a win in three fixtures. 

Spain: Kubo strikes, assists
Japan striker Takefusa Kubo earned his first La Liga goal of the season when he opened for Real Sociedad in the third minute and assisted their third in the 59th in a 5-2 rout of Malaga. 
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Levante’s Australia custodian Mathew Ryan was beaten three times in a 3-3 thriller with Sevilla, with his side coming from behind to level 10 minutes into stoppage time. Ryan also featured in a following 1-1 draw with Deportivo Coruna.
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Korea Republic midfielder Lee Kang-in featured for 62 minutes in Atletico Madrid’s 1-0 win over Espanyol, giving his second-placed side their fifth win on the trot. 

Photos: AFP