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Europe Wrap: Nakamura shines for Reims
Kuala Lumpur: It was another memorable week for Asia’s best as Japanese international Keito Nakamura hit a brace for Reims, while Socceroo Max Balard scored his first goal of the season for Nac Breda.
The rest of the continent’s stars contributed in spades to their respective clubs, so follow the-AFC.com as we look at what they’ve been up to in Europe this past week.

England: Endo’s Liverpool within touching distance of title
Japan international captain Wataru Endo came on in the 85th minute in Liverpool’s 2-1 win over West Ham United in the English Premier League. The Reds are now 13 points clear of second-placed Arsenal with six matches left.

Crystal Palace’s Japan international Daichi Kamada played a full match in their 5-2 loss to Manchester City, who came back from two goals down.
Yukinari Sugawara, Japan’s international defender, came on in the 80th minute in Southampton’s 3-0 loss to Aston Villa, who became the first club in Premier League history to have three different substitutes score in a single game. 

Socceroo Cameron Burgess was involved for 90 minutes in Ipswich Town’s 2-2 draw with Chelsea, a result which leaves his side in the relegation zone with 21 points from 32 games. 
 
Wolves’ Korea Republic international Hwang Hee-chan made an appearance in the 83rd minute as they inflicted a 4-2 defeat on Tottenham Hotspur. Wolves are now 16th in the standings and are 14 points clear of the bottom three.

Scotland: Hatate on form for Celtic
Celtic’s Japan international Reo Hatate scored a brace while fellow international Daizen Maeda scored one in their 5-1 rout of Kilmarnock. Hatate, who also assisted the fifth goal, struck in the 9th and 24th minutes. Maeda scored in the 11th minute before being substituted in the 81st.

Australian internationals Martin Boyle and Lewis Miller both assisted in Hibernian’s 4-0 win over Dundee FC. Boyle assisted the second goal and Miller the third in a tie where their fellow Socceroos and teammates Nectarios Triantis and Jack Iredale participated in the full match.

Australian international Ryan Strain played a full match for Dundee United in their 1-0 win over St Johnstone.
Three other Australians made their appearance in the Motherwell-Hearts match, which ended scoreless. Motherwell’s Johnny Koutroumbis came on in the 20th minute while internationals Cameron Devlin and Calem Nieuwenhof were involved for Hearts after coming on in the 46th and 84th minutes respectively.

Their fellow international Josh Nisbet was replaced in the 60th minute in Ross County’s 3-2 loss to St Mirren.

Palestine international Oday Dabbagh came on in the 64th minute in Aberdeen’s 2-2 draw with Rangers, who were down to 10 men in the 40th minute and equalised six minutes into time added on.

Germany: Doan lends a hand
SC Freiburg’s Japanese international Ritsu Doan assisted the second goal in their 2-1 win over Borussia M’gladbach, who played his fellow international Ko Itakura from the starting whistle.

Korea Republic’s Kim Min-jae played 54 minutes for Bayern Munich in their 2-2 draw with Borussia Dortmund. The Bundesliga leaders are six points clear with five matches left.
Japan’s Kaishu Sano played a full match for Mainz 05 in their 2-0 defeat to TSG Hoffenheim. Korea Republic’s Lee Jae-sung made a full appearance for Mainz while Hong Hyeon-seok came on seven minutes before regulation.

St Pauli captain and Socceroo Jackson Irvine played a full match in their 2-1 loss to Holstein Kiel. His teammate and fellow Australian Connor Metcalfe was involved from the 87th minute while Holstein’s Japan international Shuto Machino played 90 minutes.

Netherlands: An unforgettable day for Balard
Australia’s international midfielder Max Balard scored his first Eredivisie goal of the season for Nac Breda in their 1-1 stalemate with Go Ahead Eagles. Balard, who put in a full shift and scored in the 53rd minute, has played 28 matches for his club, who are seven points above the relegation playoff spot. 

Iran’s international forward Alireza Jahanbakhsh converted a penalty four minutes into stoppage time in Heerenveen’s 3-1 loss to Sparta Rotterdam. Iraqi international Hussein Ali came on in the 46th minute for the winners.

Japan’s Kodai Sano opened scoring for NEC Nijmegen in the 46th minute in their 2-1 win over RKC Waalwijk. His teammate and fellow Japanese Kento Shiogai played 60 minutes while Indonesian international Calvin Verdonk was on for the full match.
Feyenoord, who are third in the Eredivisie, defeated Fortuna Sittard 2-0, with the former’s Japan international Ayase Ueda playing 66 minutes and Korea Republic international Hwang In-Beom coming on after the break.

Almere City’s Indonesian international Thom Haye played a full game and his Iraqi counterpart Ali Jasim from the second half in their 5-0 loss to second-placed PSV.  AZ Alkmaar’s Japan international Seiya Maikuma was involved from the 65th minute in
their 1-0 loss to Heracles, which leaves his side looking for their first win in six matches.

Indonesian internationals Mees Hilgers played a full match for FC Twente and Eliano Reijnders turned out in the 42nd minute for PEC Zwolle as both sides battled to a 2-2 draw.

France: Nakamura, Minamino shine in Ligue 1
Japan international Keito Nakamura hit a brace in the 33rd and 88th minutes in Reims’ 2-0 win over Lens, who fielded Australian Mathew Ryan in goal. Nakamura was joined on the pitch by fellow countrymen Hiroki Sekine, who made a full appearance and
Junya Ito, who played for 78 minutes. 

Takumi Minamino found the back of the net in the 34th minute in Monaco’s 3-0 win over Marseille. The Japan international came off in the 70th minute as his side overtook Marseille by one point to place second in Ligue 1, 11 behind leaders PSG.
Jordan international Mousa Al Tamari played 75 minutes while Japan’s Kyogo Furuhashi was involved from the 83rd minute in Rennes’ 5-1 thrashing of Le Havre. 

Japan’s Ado Onaiwu was on the pitch for 66 minutes for AJ Auxerre in their 3-1 loss to relegation-threatened Lyon.

Italy: Yet another draw for Suzuki’s Parma
Japan’s international custodian Zion Suzuki kept a clean sheet in Parma’s scoreless draw with Fiorentina. His side’s fifth consecutive stalemate lifted them to 16th in the Serie A standings.
Indonesia’s national team captain Jay Idzes, who also skippers Venezia, played a full match in their 1-0 win over Monza.

Idzes’ Uzbekistan national counterpart Eldor Shomurodov was on in the 59th minute in AS Roma’s 1-1 draw with Lazio, which extended his side’s league run to six unbeaten matches.

Spain: Kubo turns out for Sociedad
Real Sociedad, in ninth place in the La Liga, sent in Japanese international forward Takefusa Kubo in the 72nd minute in their 2-0 loss to Mallorca.

Belgium: No respite for Al Sahafi’s Beerschot
Saudi Arabia international Marwan Al Sahafi played a full match for Beerschot while fellow international Faisal Al Ghamdi came off one minute before regulation in their 3-2 loss to Kortrijk in the Belgium Pro League’s relegation round.

Isa Sakamoto of Japan came on in the 77th minute in Westerlo’s 2-2 draw with Sporting Charleroi in the Conference League playoff group.

Photo: AFP