Australia defender Sainsbury played a full game for his new Chinese side Jiangsu Suning as they opened their group stage campaign with a 1-1 draw against 10-man Binh Duong.
Alex Teixeira – who produced this sublime piece of skill, Ramires and Jo all debuted for Jiangsu, the trio among a host of big-name players to have moved to the Chinese Super League in recent weeks – but they struggled to click against their Vietnamese opponents.
Jiangsu had not been in competitive action since the Chinese FA Cup success against Shanghai Shenhua in November and, despite leading through Ji Xiang 13 minutes in, Nguyen Anh Duc equalised from the spot before half-time.Seoul and Shandong Luneng are the early pacesetters in Group F – the former hammering 10-man Buriram United 6-0 thanks primarily to a four-goal elastico superfly black uk haul from Brazilian striker Adriano.
Shandong Luneng sit second on goal difference after Diego Tardelli’s late volley earned them a 2-1 win against Japanese champions Sanfrecce Hiroshima at the EDION Stadium.
Lokomotiv and Tiempo Legend 2016 UK Al Mercurial CR7 BHM UK Ittihad played out a feisty 1-1 draw in Group A’s opening game as Sardor Mirzayev’s equaliser a minute from time cancelled out Gelmin Rivas’s first-half opener.
Jasur Hasanov and Fahad Al Muwallad were both sent off in the final stages as tempers flared in Tashkent.
Lokomotiv’s draw allowed Iranian side Sepahan to move top of the table later as Luciano Chimba’s brace ensured Mercurial Superfly Black uk a 2-0 win over Al Nasr.
Group B also got under way as Zob Ahan edged Lekhwiya 1-0 in Doha to move top before magista obra black uk Al Nassr produced a late comeback to draw 3-3 with Bunyodkor.
