In the first half, neither side could break the deadlock and the score remained at 0-0. However, the tide turned and in the 70th minute of the second half, Jeddah National scored the first time with a header from Ivan Toni, assisted by Mahrez, to make it 1-0, followed by another assist from Mahrez in the 74th minute, which led to a second goal for Ivan Toni. Jeddah National stretched the lead to 2-0, and although Kaku pulled a point back for Al Ain in the 92nd minute with a powerful long-range shot, it was not enough to equalize the score at 1-2. Jeddah National made it five wins in a row with the victory, accumulating 15 points and overtaking second-placed Riyadh Crescent at the top of the West Asia zone table. It is worth mentioning that they are 13 points ahead of ninth-ranked Persepolis, locking up a spot in the round of 16 three rounds ahead of schedule and becoming the first team to advance to the knockout rounds of this season's AFC Champions League.
The match between Tehran Independence and Tashkent Cotton Farmers was equally uneventful. Although Tehran Independence had a commanding 60% lead in possession and took five shots, three of which were on target, Tashkent Meanwhile, Tashkent Mean Farms also took five shots but came up empty-handed. In the end, the two sides shook hands 0-0. With the fixtures progressing, four matches in the East Asia Region are set to begin tonight. The matchups are as follows: Ulsan Hyundai vs Shanghai Seaport (18:00), Kobe Victory vs Chuo Coastal Mariners (18:00), Shandong Taishan vs Johor Bahru (20:00), and Buriram United vs Kawasaki Frontale (20:00). Shanghai Seaport will face South Korea's Ulsan Hyundai, the only team in the East Asian region to have started the season with four consecutive defeats and zero points, on the road. Chinese Super League champions Shanghai Seaport are expected to seize this opportunity to take all three points. Meanwhile, Shandong Taishan have their final home game of the year after manager Cui Kangxi was suspended.
