Needing a win to secure a place in the last 16, Oscar’s first-half brace calmed any nerves among the Chinese Super League champions, before Li Shenglong added a third – his first-ever goal in the competition – to effectively secure the three points and qualification.

Oscar grabbed his hat-trick soon after and Hu Jinghang rounded off the scoring late on as Shanghai progressed to the knockout rounds for the fourth successive year and Li was left with a night to remember.

The former Chelsea star claimed a hat-trick in a virtuoso display for the Chinese Super League champions, who claimed second place in Group H at the expense of J.League champions Kawasaki Frontale.

The win means Shanghai will take on Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in the next round and Pereira was delighted with his team’s performance.

The 2-0 victory over Real Sociedad in the final round of La Liga means Espanyol jumped two spots to seventh in the standings on 53 points - returning to European action after more than a decade.

Wu Lei’s 65-minute strike following Roberto Rosales’ opener seven minutes earlier, was his third goal for Espanyol in 16 appearances and the forward received a standing ovation from the home crowd after coming off in the 80th minute.

With a win guaranteeing Shanghai a place in the knockout stage, Oscar opened the scoring at the Shanghai Stadium after just seven minutes before doubling the home side’s lead just before half-time.

There is a feeling amongst those at Urawa Red Diamonds of unfinished business at the AFC Champions League. Winners in 2017, the Reds were unable to qualify for the 2018 edition and thus never had the opportunity to retain their title.

The return to the Continental competition this year has, instead, been perceived as a belated defence of the championship they memorably lifted at Saitama Stadium after a victory over Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal.

And that aim, admitted Koroki, was a key motivating factor in the winner-take-all clash with Beijing FC on Matchday Six.

Wakizaka opened the scoring after just nine minutes at Jubilee Stadium, with Kawasaki needing to better Shanghai SIPG’s result against Group H winners Ulsan Hyundi to qualify for the knockout stage.

But despite Wakizaka and Ao Tonaka adding further goals before half-time and Brazilian striker Leandro Damiao in the second half, Shanghai’s 5-0 win over Ulsan meant it was the Chinese Super League side who advanced as Group H runners-up.

The 39-year-old midfield genius, who helped Spain win the World Cup in 2010 and won four UEFA Champions League titles and eight La Liga titles with Barcelona, was cheered by fans at the Azadi Stadium in Tehran where already-eliminated Persepolis produced an improved display to register only their second win in six matches.