The victory keeps the Chinese side undefeated in this year’s AFC Champions League campaign and on track to reach the knockout stages of the competition for just the third time in nine attempts.

The defending champions went into the match on top of the Group E standings but suffered their first setback of the campaign as the visitors’ Japanese forward Takahiro Kunimoto tucked home the only goal of the game just after the hour.

The result – Kashima’s first home loss on the Continent since going down by the same scoreline to another team from Korea Republic, Suwon Samsung Bluewings, in the 2018 group stage – saw Gyeongnam close to within two points of the J.League side with two games to play.

Al Wahda's attacking midfielder Leonardo netted four times in his side's sensational 4-3 win at home over Qatar's Al Rayyan in their Group B Matchday Four clash on Monday to earn this week's top accolade.

The Brazilian's quadruple helped the Emirati club come back from 2-0 and then 3-1 deficits, with his match-winner coming in the 89th minute. The former Al Ahli Saudi star showed tremendous precision with his finishing, with his four goals coming from five shots on target.

Leonardo also made two key passes, registered 61 touches and won three fouls as he was awarded a 9.9 rating to lead the Toyota Player of the Week standings.

Countryman Ricardo Lopes (below) likewise shone on Matchday Four with the Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors winger scoring a stunning opener for the Korean side in their 2-1 win over Japan's Urawa Red Diamonds.

After beating Johor in Jinan two weeks ago, Shandong lost to Dalian Yifang and Guangzhou Evergrande to slip to seventh in the Chinese Super League but they remained unbeaten on the Continent ahead of the trip to southern Malaysia.

Graziano Pelle struck from close range midway through the first half to record his sixth goal in four games as Shandong climbed above defending champions Kashima Antlers to top the standings with two games to play.

Played at a typically raucous Tan Sri Hassan Yunos Stadium, the home side came into the match confident of a result after their impressive finish in their previous encounter in China PR two weeks ago.

And it was the Malaysians who made a bright start, with Azrif Nasrulhaq firing the first effort, but his shot was wide of the mark, as was Diogo’s effort when he tried from the edge of the area five minutes later.

Gyeongnam applied some early pressure and Negueba took advantage of a defensive slip to surge clear before being dispossessed by the Kashima defenders. Choi Jae-soo’s cross from the left then found Kim Hyo-gi but he couldn’t direct his volley on target.

Kim Hyo-gi headed wide from Negueba’s cross as the visitors continued to push for the opening goal.