After an even opening period, Sho Ito silenced the home crowd at Jinan Olympic Sports Centre as he gave defending champions Kashima the lead on 10 minutes, linking with Leo Silva and then striding into the area to steer home a low shot.

The Thai side won the first leg 3-2 at Buriram Stadium last year before being eliminated following a 2-0 defeat in Korea Republic, but the hosts will be hopeful that home backing can again prove inspirational against the two-time champions.

Buriram lost their opening Group G game 3-0 against 2017 winners Urawa Red Diamonds but returned to Thailand to post their first Thai League 1 victory this season after seeing off Prachuap 2-0 on Saturday.

Zhang Xizhe drew Beijing level with Jeonbuk on Matchday One last week before they eventually lost 3-1; however, they responded in perfect fashion by posting a 4-0 victory over Chongqing Dangdai on Saturday to maintain their 100 percent start in the Chinese Super League.

Beijing twice faced Urawa in the 2015 group stage, winning 2-0 at home and drawing 1-1 in Japan with forward Yu Dabao scoring in both games as they ultimately advanced while Urawa exited.

The side from Korea Republic played out a scoreless draw with Sydney FC in Australia last week before returning home and repeating the scoreline against Gangwon in K League 1 on Sunday.

Ulsan and Shanghai met for the first time in the competition last year, playing out a 2-2 draw in Shanghai then, a year to the day before Wednesday’s meeting, the Chinese side won 1-0 in Ulsan.

The two-time J.League champions were unlucky to concede a late penalty and lose 1-0 to Shanghai SIPG last week, but the result meant Kawasaki have now not won in the competition for eight games in a run that stretches back to the first leg of the 2017 quarter-finals.

Kawasaki then conceded deep into stoppage time to draw 2-2 with Yokohama F. Marinos on Sunday to mean they have now drawn their opening three games of the J.League season and sit in the bottom half of the table.

With AFC Champions League firsts, a returning star and an intriguing match-up all part of this week’s action, the-AFC.com has picked out five things to look out for on Matchday Two.

The 32-year-old, who has played across Europe and Central America since leaving his native land, has in that time also earned over 90 international caps, played at three FIFA World Cups and won the 2011 AFC Asian Cup, where he was also named MVP of the tournament.

We take a look back at the Samurai Blue icon's career ahead of to his homecoming to learn more about his football journey in the slideshow above.

Photos: Getty Images