The Thai side slipped to a 2-0 loss at the hands of Hong Kong’s Kitchee in their opening game – their first-ever in the group phase of the continental club championship – but bounced back to register a comfortable 3-0 victory over Guangzhou FC.

The Korean side started the Group H encounter with a bang, taking the lead inside two minutes through Stanislav Iljutcenko before Takahiro Kunimoto doubled their lead after the quarter-hour mark with a deflected effort from outside the box.

But soon after, Gamba Osaka rallied back with Patric getting on the end of a Hiroki Fujiharo cross to head in their first in the 27th minute before showing a poacher’s instinct to move into space and fire home Shinya Yajima’s cross from close range four minutes later for the equaliser.

Yamasaki became the first player to net a hat-trick in the East Group Stage and econd overall after Michael Olunga achieved the feat for Al Duhail of Qatar on Matchday Two of the West Zone.

Pohang rallied back with goals from Borys Tashchy, Kang Sang-Woo, Kwon Gi-pyo and Lim Sang-hyub after Johor Darul Ta'zim took the lead through Leandro Velázquez.

The win was certainly a morale booster for Pohang, who sit second on the table and are three points ahead of Johor Darul Ta’zim, while Japan’s Nagoya Grampus are top with nine.

Ryogo Yamasaki scored a first half hat-trick before Manabu Saito put further gloss on the scoreline to give Nagoya their third consecutive victory of the competition.

Nagoya lead the standings with nine points, while Korea Republic’s Pohang Steelers are second with six following their 4-1 victory over Malaysia’s Johor Darul Ta’zim, who lie third.

The first Singaporean side to compete in the AFC Champions League group stage in over a decade, Tampines looked set to claim at least a point for most of Monday’s clash, but ended up empty handed after Chiangrai substitute Sivakorn Tiatrakul scored three minutes from time.

Former Montenegro international Damjanovic overtook Korea Republic’s Lee Dong-gook on Sunday, sweeping home in the 38th minute to put his Kitchee SC side in the lead against Cerezo Osaka of Japan. The Hong Kong side could not hold on to the lead and were beaten 2-1, but the match will be remembered for Damjanovic’s historic moment.