Groups F and H will kick off proceedings on Tuesday, before Groups E and G take centre stage a day later, with some sides already eyeing the knockout rounds and others already facing last chance saloon.

A fantastic four-goal salvo from Brazilian forward Ricardo Goulart led Guangzhou Evergrande to a rollercoaster 5-3 win over Jeju United in their Group G Matchday Three clash at Tianhe Stadium on Tuesday.

The 2015 AFC Champions League MVP and Top Scorer impressively netted all of his tally in the second half of the tie, helping spark another magical night of continental football in southern China. The pick of the bunch was a delicate chipped effort, which saw saw him nominated for the Allianz Goal of the Week.

The match loomed as a heavyweight battle between the top two teams in Group E, but Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors brushed aside their Chinese opponents in comprehensive fashion.

TOO HOT TO HANDLE

Kim Shin-wook’s size and aerial presence caused a constant threat throughout the night for the Tianjin Quanjian defence. His opening goal came via a header, and came just minutes after he had a goal disallowed – also a header – for offside.

His aerial threat meant the home side’s wingers and midfielders could whip the ball in from wide areas confident that their man would get on the end of it.

In total the target man managed five shots, four of which were on target, as shown on his shooting map below.

Groups B and D are first up when they play their fourth games of the campaign on Monday, before Groups A and C return on action on Tuesday, after which the fate of some of the sides may have been decided.