J-League teams started their AFC Champions League run with solid results as three of the four combatants were victorious.Nagoya Grampus came from behind to defeat Korean side Ulsan Hyundai 3-1. After Ulsan Hyundai took the lead twenty-five minutes in through the first-half as Cho Jin-soo redirected Yeom Ki-hun corner from close range. Eight minutes after the restart Blue Samurai Keiji Yoshimura's cross was headed in by Yoshida. With thirteen minutes remaining Davi scored the winner for Nagoya as he headed-in a corner. With four minutes remaining Naoshi Nakamura's free-kick was headed in by Magnum.
Gamba Osaka devastated Chinese Super League champions Shandong Luneng FC 3-0. Twenty minutes in Gamba took the lead as a following a corner a close range scramble resulted in Leandro poaching on the opportunity. Missed opportunities for the balance of the half left Gamba with a narrow one goal advantage at the break however with nineteen minutes remaining the spot was pointed to after Alejandro Cichero was adjudged to handling the ball in the area and Japan international Yasuhito Endo made no mistake bringing the match to 2-0. Eight minutes later Hayato Sasaki's entrance into the match proved opportunistic as he picked up a poor clearance and drove the ball in from the top of the box.
In a overwhelming performance South Korea's Suwon Bluewings defeated Kashima Antlers 4-1. Two minutes before the break the floodgates opened for Suwon with two late goals. First Chinese international Li Weifeng gave Suwon side the lead capitalized on a poor defensive clearance and only a minute later Eduardo doubled the margin as he volleyed-in Hong Soon-hak's cross. After the break the Suwon controlled the run of play and took the three goal lead with nine minutes remaining as Hong Soon-hak played a smooth one-two with Seo Dong-hyeon before sending the ball in. In added-time Park Hyun-bem made it 4-0 as he drove the ball in from inside the area before Marquinhos found little consolation a minutes later with a close range header to bring the match to a 4-1 conclusion.
Kawasaki Frontale defeated Chinese Super League side Tianjin Teda 1-0 on the strength of Renatinho's goal sixteen mintues in.
Photo credit: Yonhap news agency
