A pair of wins and a pair of draws define the narrative as Jeonnam Dragons opened their continental campaign with a win thanks to late heroics from Leonard Pllana, while Daegu FC put a thumping on Shandong Taishan. Perrenial league leaders Ulsan Hyundai and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors had to settle for even honors on Matchday one.

A late strike from Leonard Pllana gave the Dragons a well deserved three points against United City FC after an industrious second half, canceling out the first forty-five minutes, which saw both sides unwilling to capture a thread and take the match forward. Jeonnam continuously pushed for a goal after the break and were finally rewarded when the Kosovan found himself on the doorstep in the dying minutes, latching on to Park Hee-sung's nick in the area to give the Korean side three points from their first encounter in this year's competition, their first appearance on Asia's biggest stage since 2008.

The Korean FA Cup winners from last season have faith that they can progress from the group stage but must do more in the following matches to state their case. Jeonnam's opener was a must-win, and they finished the assignment on hand to open the competition on a good note, but need to keep their offensive presence intact to progress forward.

BG Pathum will enjoy home-field advantage, looking to build on an opening matchday draw versus debutants Melbourne City, as Teerasil Dangda canceled out Andrew Nabbout's 22nd-minute go-ahead goal. In what was a fairly even match, both sides had to settle for a share of the spoils at the final whistle. 

Daegu FC opened their Champions League campaign in style, recording a 7-0 victory against Shandong Taishan, thanks in large part to a hat-trick from Brazilian forward Zeca. Lee Keun-ho got the ball rolling early on, slotting home from close range after just a quarter of an hour. Hong Chul would also add his name to the scoresheet just a few minutes after the break, banging his effort home after a bit of a scuffle in the box. The highlight of the night would be produced by Bruno Lamas, whose effort from just outside the box in the 66th minute found the top corner. Jeong Chi-in also added his name to the fray with a deft finish in the 69th minute. Cesinha, the team's standout did not play in the opening match but could be available, even if needed from the bench.

Lion City Sailors will be Daegu's next opponent in the group phase and will be looking to rebound after a bit of a rude awakening in their debut in Asia's top competition. They recorded a 4-1 defeat in their first match against two-time champions Urawa Reds. There is an air of familiarity, however, as the Sky Blues come up against former K League manager Kim Do-hoon and striker Kim Shin-wook.

The former Jeonbuk Hyundai striker will look to make his mark against the Sky Blues, have scored six goals with three assists in sixteen career matches against them but needs his teammates to step to the occasion.

Ulsan Hyundai missed an opportunity to grab all three points against Kawasaki Frontale in their opening match, conceding in the late stages, despite dominating proceedings for the majority of the ninety minutes. Jo Hyeon-woo's fumble which led to Shintaro Kurumaya's injury-time equalizer must be forgotten as the 2020 champions focus on making another run to claim their third continental trophy in club history.

Jo Hyeon-woo was the man of the match with several key saves but a late blunder cost Ulsan the victory as he was unable to collect cleanly from a corner, allowing Shintaro Kurumaya to slot home late in injury time to preserve a point for the Japanese side.

Johor romped to a 5-0 victory on opening night in the East Zone, thanks in large part to a hat-trick from Bergson, with an own goal from He Li-pan and a late addition from Ramadhan Saifullah rounding out the scoring. While it was a comprehensive performance, it must be noted that Chinese squads this year have opted to send their cadets, meaning that the Malaysian side will be in for a much stronger test against the 2020 champions.

Yokohama enter the match on a winning note, having dispatched Hoang Gia Lai FC in their opening fixture thanks to a first-half double from Leonardo Pereira. They had the brunt of possession throughout the match and worked the spaces well. Facing the current Korean champions will not put them in a state of worry, however, as they have won three out of four matches head to head overall.

Jeonbuk, meanwhile, struggled to a scoreless draw against Sydney FC in their opener as the Australian side controlled much of the first half and should have been in front through Trent Buhagiar if not for a key save from Lee Beom-soo. Modou Barrow had a chance to win it in the late stages, but his header was deftly kept out by Andrew Redmayne. A much better performance is needed from Kim Sang-sik's men going forward if they are to put a stamp on the competition this year.

K League United Senior Columnist