AFC Champions League Elite
Now, the spotlight is on the Player of the Match winners! Check out the list, pick your star, and make your vote count in the battle to crown the best.
Houssem Aouar - Al Ittihad Club
Algerian midfielder Houssem Aouar scored the crucial equalizer with a brave header as Al Ittihad Club secured their first win, coming from behind to beat PFC Neftchi 2-1.
Yahya Ben Khaleq – Al Ain FC
Al Ain FC kept their winning run in the AFC Champions League Elite 2026/27™ going with a 2-1 victory against Tractor FC on Monday, all thanks to Houssine Rahimi's winner, which came from an inch-perfect serve by Yahya Ben Khaleq.
Matheus Goncalves - Al Ahli Saudi FC
The match was all square, and all it needed was magic for a winner, and the host's winger did just that! Goncalves struck in the 86th minute as Saudi Arabia's Al Ahli moved up to seven points.
Saad Abdul Ameer - Air Force SC
Against the run of play, Air Force opened the scoring when Achraf Boudrama nodded down Mujtaba Mohsin's free-kick for captain Saad Abdulameer to finish from close range and settle the proceedings.
Akram Afif - Al Sadd SC
Akram Afif put Qatar's Al Sadd ahead in the 74th minute with an absolute out-of-the-box beauty, only for Julian Quinones to equalize 10 minutes later to take Al Qadsiah to five points, while Al Sadd earned their first point after back-to-back defeats.
Sardar Azmoun - Shabab Al Ahli
A brace in MD2 and a double assist in MD3, it's just Azmoun's world, and we are living in it. The Iranian forward set up both second-half goals as the United Arab Emirates side moved up to nine points.
Youssouf Sabaly - Al Shamal SC
The Senegalese star was key in the historic 3-1 win against Al Hilal SFC. No shots taken, no assists, but the midfielder created 14 defensive Interventions - the most from Al Shamal SC, and only Al Hilal's Yusuf Akcicek had more (20).
Ren Komatsu - Vissel Kobe
3 shots on goal and 1 winner! The Japanese forward was clinical against a solid K-League side's defense, scoring the only goal and keeping Vissel Kobe solid in the East League Stage with a perfect run of 3 straight wins.
Rafael Elias - Kyoto Sanga FC
Rafael Elias, aka Papagaio, was crucial in the goal fest that saw the J-League outfit come back brilliantly after a 2-goal deficit. The Brazilian forward fired at least 5 shots on target from his side's 15 shots on goal, including the important goal that doubled the lead and partly ended Newcastle Jets' effort.
Arif Aiman - Johor Darul Ta’zim
Back-to-back wins, an East League Stage second-place finish (after MD3), and their skipper in form, with an important assist from Jonathan Silva. It's arguably one of the best afternoons for those home fans at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium.
Brayan Perea - Cong An Ha Noi FC
The Colombian forward was lethal during the 5-goal thriller that saw the V-League giants make history at Shanghai Port FC. Perea scored in both halves to give Cong An Ha Noi FC a well-deserved victory and earn the first three points of the competition.
Roque Mesa - Ratchaburi FC
Ratchaburi FC claimed their first point of the AFC Champions League Elite 2026/27™ thanks to a great performance by Roque Mesa. Alongside Thanawat Suengchit, the holding-midfield duo intervened 15 times to keep his side standing firm against a formidable Kashiwa Reysol, who scored 6 goals in two matches.
Boubacar Konte - Beijing FC
With more than 100 passes with over 80% accuracy, the most duel wins (6), and second-most defensive interventions, Konte fulfilled his duty by holding firm between the attacking lines and defenders in the 4-goal see-saw battle at the Workers Stadium.
Takashi Usami - Gamba Osaka
Takashi to the rescue with a seemingly impossible-to-score angle. Eduardo Mancha's first-half goal put Gamba Osaka behind by more than an hour, until Takashi was introduced. The 34-year-old needed little time to equalize from a left-side free-kick, beating a full-reach Neil Etheridge.
Ryuta Koike - Kashima Antlers
The unexpected did the far-fetched! Koike came on less than 10 minutes into the first half to replace an injured Hirose, but it took him more than an hour to break the deadlock; it was worth the wait. Koike's opener was crucial, lighting up the match and paving the way for two more goals as Kashima maintained their unblemished record.
Your vote decides. Pick your Player of the Match for Matchday 3!
