Group G: Guangzhou Evergrande 7-0 Eastern SC

Two-time AFC Champions League winners Guangzhou Evergrande taught visitors Eastern SC a harsh lesson on their continental debut thanks to a 7-0 thrashing in their Group G opener on Wednesday at Tianhe Stadium.

Eastern coach Chan Yuen-ting had made the headlines before the match as the first-ever female coach to lead a men’s team at a continental competition, but her dream quickly became a nightmare after full-back Wong Tsz-ho was sent off just four minutes in for a handball on the line and Ricardo Goulart dispatched the resulting penalty.

Wang Shangyan then doubled the score from a corner midway through the half and although Yapp Hung-fai saved from the spot from Brazilian forward Alan shortly after, Liao Lisheng netted a brace either side of the break with Eastern down to nine men after Wong Chi-chung was sent off on 34 minutes. After the hour mark,  Alan added the pick of the night’s goals with a sumptuous fifth, curling in from 20 yards out before compatriot Paulinho added another fine effort after beating two players and drilling into the opposite corner on the 82nd minute.

Wang Shangyuan added his second and the tie’s seventh and final goal with six minutes remaining to firmly place Guangzhou as early frontrunners in Group G after Kawasaki Frontale were held 1-1 by Suwon Samsug Bluewings in Wednesday’s other Group G fixture.

Group G: Kawasaki Frontale 1-1 Suwon Bluewings

An own goal from Shogo Taniguchi denied Kawasaki Frontale a winning start to their 2017 AFC Champions League campaign on Wednesday evening as the J.League club were held to a 1-1 draw by two-time Asian champions Suwon Samsung Bluewings.

Captain Yu Kobayashi (pictured left) gave Kawasaki the lead just 11 minutes into the game when he slid Kengo Nakamura’s volleyed pass beyond Suwon goalkeeper Shin Hwa-yong as the home side controlled the early proceedings.

But Suwon earned a point when Taniguchi saw the ball ricochet off his shins in the 23rd minute following Shintaro Kurumaya’s attempt to clear Yeom Ki-hyun’s cut back across the face of goal to see both teams pick up a point in their Group G opener.

Group H: Jeju United FC 0-1 Jiangsu FC

A last-minute goal by Brazilian Ramires claimed a smash-and-grab 1-0 victory for China’s Jiangsu FC over Jeju United of Korea Republic in their opening 2017 AFC Champions League Group H encounter on Wednesday.

The hosts had the better of the first half at Jeju World Cup Stadium, with Kwon Soon-hyung volleying narrowly wide inside 15 minutes and Lee Chang-min heading against the post seven minutes before the interval.

Brazilian Marcelo Toscano struck the woodwork shortly after the restart as Jeju sought to make their dominance count but, after the Korean backline failed to clear a long free-kick into the box in the 90th minute, the ball fell kindly to Ramires and the midfielder finished low into the bottom right corner to claim all three points at the death.

Jiangsu now join Gamba Osaka at the top of the table after the Japanese outfit eased to a 3-0 victory at Adelaide United in Wednesday’s other Group H fixture.

Group H: Adelaide United 0-3 Gamba Osaka

Gamba Osaka opened their 2017 AFC Champions League Group H campaign in style by comfortably seeing off Australia’s Adelaide United 3-0 at Hindmarsh Stadium on Wednesday.

In a repeat of the 2008 final, which the Japanese side won 5-0 on aggregate, Gamba were in complete control of the opening stages and took a deserved lead midway through the first-half when Shun Nagasawa headed home Oh Jae-suk’s inch-perfect cross from the right.

Yasuyuki Konno then doubled the visitors’ advantage in first-half stoppage time after the Gamba frontline had burst forward with pace, before Dylan McGowan’s own-goal with nine minutes remaining brought to an end a miserable night for Adelaide as Gamba wrapped up their first AFC Champions League win in nine attempts.