Kawasaki beat the Korean outfit 3-2 back on Matchday One, with both teams piling on goals and wins ever since to ensure the three-point lead established by Toru Oniki’s side back then remains in place going into each side's penultimate match in the group.

That means Daegu will have the chance to leapfrog the reigning J1 League champions into the group leadership at Bunyodkor Stadium, putting themselves into an exceptionally strong position to advance to the Round of 16 for the first time in the process .

The two sides opened their campaign against each other in a game that produced two fine strikes and no winner. Stephan Schrock curled in United City’s first-ever AFC Champions League goal in style after 28 minutes, but Liang Shaowen matched him with a sublime free-kick to equalise in the 73rd minute for the young Beijing FC side.

That opening-day point remains the solitary one collected by either of the two teams in a group that pitted them against the vastly more experienced Kawasaki Frontale and Daegu FC.

Ulsan Hyundai FC lead Group F on 12 points, with BG Pathum United - three behind in second place - facing a must-win situation against already eliminated Kaya FC-Iloilo if they are to keep pace with the defending champions in the race to finish top and seal the sole automatic spot in the Round of 16.

Ulsan, who are on a 13-match winning streak in the AFC Champions League, lead Group F with 12 points and a win on Thursday will keep them in the driver's seat to book a place in the Round of 16. Thailand's BG Pathum United are second on nine points while Viettel are no longer in contention for a place in the knockout stage with just three points to their name.

The K League champions beat Thailand’s Chiangrai United 3-1 to win Group H with a game to spare, with all three of their goals coming in a highly efficient first-half display.

Chiangrai managed more possession and more shots on goal in the first half – and racked up 18 attempts for the match as a whole – but it was Jeonbuk who were better in the final third, with Modou Barrow, Hong Jeong-ho and Park Jin-seong all scoring in style.

Pohang’s Boris Tashchy struck late in the game to cancel out Naoki Maeda’s second half goal to deny Nagoya a sixth consecutive victory at the Rajamangala Stadium.

Nagoya ended their campaign with 16 points with Pohang five adrift and needing results elsewhere to go their way if they are to advance to the Round of 16 as one of the three best runners-up from the East zone.

The two sides could not break the deadlock at the Rajamangala Stadium as Johor Darul Ta’zim ended their 2021 AFC Champions League campaign in third place with four points, two ahead of Ratchaburi.