Wang calmly slotted his 23rd minute effort past home goalkeeper Apirak Worawong to earn Beijing all three points in their opening game in Group E to join FC Seoul and Melbourne Victory at the top of the early standings.

Making their return to the Continent’s top competition a week later than expected after a three-year absence, Choi Yong-soo’s charges prevailed in a 90-minute arm-wrestle, outlasting the visitors at a bitterly cold Seoul World Cup Stadium.

Seoul’s win sees them join Victory, who began their campaign last Tuesday, on three points, putting the 2013 runners-up on track for what would be a first knockout stage appearance since 2016.

Leandro’s strike curled past Liam Reddy to give Kenta Hasegawa’s side all three points to add to their opening day draw with Group F rivals Ulsan Hyundai on Matchday One, while Perth were left to travel home with nothing to show for their efforts against the 2019 J.League runners-up.

It was a dream debut for Vissel Kobe last week as an Andres Iniesta-inspired performance saw the J.League side enjoy a 5-1 victory over Malaysian champions Johor Darul Ta'zim.

A trip to Suwon may prove a bigger test, however. The Korean side are two-time Continental champions, having won the Asian Club Championship back-to-back in 2000-01 and 2001-02, and were AFC Champions League semi-finalists as recently as 2018.

This will be the first ever game between Yokohama and Sydney in the AFC Champions League, but with former Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou at the helm of the J.League side it won't entirely be a case of unfamiliar foes.

The home side failed to hold on to their 24th minute lead through Youssef Jaber as a brace from Bafetimbi Gomis steered Al Hilal to their second win in the competition as Shabab Al Ahli suffered their second consecutive defeat.

Al Shorta created several scoring chances but failed to beat Al Wahda custodian Mohammed Al Shamsi before Paul Jose M’Poku scored for the visitors two minutes from time to hand the Iraq club their first defeat of the competition.