The win secured Al Hilal top spot in the standings, having gone into the match level on points with Al Shabab. The 2019 AFC Champions League winners moved to 51 points, with four matches remaining.

Some are AFC Champions League veterans, some made their debut in the competition, some have been eliminated while others will continue to challenge for the title of the 2021 AFC Champions League top scorer, but what they all have in common is that their 26 goals combined were some of the finest highlights of the first part of the competition.

In arguably the best collection of performances from Asian players outside the continent all season, some of the region’s biggest names lived up to their star billing with dazzling displays.

With title-winning hat-tricks, Champions League semi-final volleys and star turns in the Premier League and Serie A just part of the story, the competition this week – based on performances from April 29 to May 4 – is fierce. Study our list of contenders, choose wisely and don’t forget to register your vote.

A total of 150 goals rained in over 60 matches in Goa, Jeddah, Riyadh and Sharjah with the teams from the West Asia section of the draw delivering plenty of drama as the games came thick and fast.

From long-range screamers to acrobatic efforts and stunning free-kicks, we've compiled a list that is sure to delight. Review the goals, and then vote for your favourite at the foot of the article.

The 31-year-old Birmingham City star has been a mainstay for the Philippines for over a decade and head coach Scott Cooper confirmed Etheridge would join the rest of the squad for their training camp in Doha later this month despite plans for the custodian to marry during the summer months.

The Spanish midfielder, a key part of the side that reached the quarter-finals of the 2020 edition of the competition in Qatar last year, suffered a medial collateral ligament injury as well as damage to his right knee cap following an on-field clash on Wednesday.

As the continental competition takes a break before resuming with the East Asia group stage in the months ahead, the-AFC.com looks back at some of the numbers that stood out as the 2021 AFC Champions League got underway in India, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.