When Dalian Shide's Hao Haidong was crowned the first top scorer of the AFC Champions League era in 2003, few might have expected it would take six years before anyone could break his record of nine goals in a single tournament.

In 2009, Leandro's Gamba Osaka was the first to do so by getting into double digits, with his tally being surpassed by five other men since.

Speaking exclusively to the-AFC.com, Xavi expressed his satisfaction with the team's performance at the Azadi Stadium, adding that Al Sadd were much better than their hosts.

"I think we did well but there's one more game," said the 38-year-old World Cup winner. "It could be just 90 minutes or it could even go to extra time. We don't know; in football, we never know.

"At least, we did a really good job in Tehran. It was a very good performance and I think we were much better than Esteghlal, especially in the second half. Also, in the first half, we could have scored at least one goal."

I am happy with our attacking intent. This is the fifth match I scored two goals, but nothing is over yet. We went 50% of the way, but there is another 50% to go in Doha in the return leg.

Baghdad Bounedjah may be the 2018 AFC Champions League's leading scorer, but the Al Sadd striker is intent on avoiding complacency, despite the side holding a 3-1 advantage over Esteghlal after the first leg in Tehran.

Esteghlal, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, Persepolis and Tianjin Quanjian all face tough tasks ahead of the second legs in just over two weeks' time, before which the-AFC.com looks back at the numbers that caught the eye as the competition entered the last eight.

Kuala Lumpur: Dejan Damjanovic was at the double as Suwon Samsung Bluewings shocked two-time AFC Champions League winners Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 3-0 in Jeonju, with the man from Montenegro earning himself the Toyota Player of the Week accolade.

Damjanovic's brace took his total AFC Champions League tally to 34 goals, just two off the all-time record held by Jeonbuk veteran Lee Dong-gook.

The 37-year-old's strikes came from three shots on target and he also won eight duels, had 48 touches and completed 27 passes to earn an impressive 8.9 rating.

Second in this week’s ranking is another player who shone in the East, Serginho (pictured below), whose stunning strike helped Kashima Antlers to a 2-0 win at home over Chinese Super League visitors Tianjin Quanjian.

The resignation of head coach Seo Jung-won just days before their opening quarter-final tie against two-time AFC Champions League winners Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors rocked Suwon Samung Bluewings' players.

But, according to star striker Damjanovic, it was also the moment that the players stood up to be counted: holding Jeonbuk to a goalless stalemate for 75 minutes before firing in three goals to take a giant step towards the semi-finals.

Since its inception in 2002, the AFC Champions League has delivered endless moments of magic. Some of the biggest names in Asian football introduced themselves to the continent through this competition, and amongst them were some mesmerising talents who left a lasting legacy through their playmaking and scoring talents.

From multiple-time winners to record breaking scorers, we celebrate five players who added to the glamour and mystique of the number 10 shirt in the AFC Champions League.