A WHOPPING 38 goals were scored across eight AFC Champions League matches on a thrilling day of group-stage action Tuesday.

    Shanghai SIPG’s stars came to the fore as Oscar and Hulk netted in a 5-1 win over Western Sydney Wanderers on a high-scoring day of AFC Champions League action on Tuesday.

    Compounding a difficult day for Australian sides, Brisbane Roar was thrashed 6-0 by Ulsan, while Urawa Reds beat Seoul 5-2 in Shanghai’s group.

    Muang Thong United secured a landmark win over Japanese champion Kashima Antlers, while Emirati powerhouse Al Ain left it late to seal victory over Uzbekistan’s Bunyodkor.

    Following on from the Academy Awards, it was fitting that Oscar gave a sparkling display in SIPG’s demolition of the 2014 champion. The Brazil international scored the second goal of the game, set up by Hulk after a sweeping move through midfield.

    Hulk was also in excellent form, scoring the opener with a thumping header before his free-kick was too hot for Jerrad Tyson to handle and Shi Ke bundled home, with Elkeson and Wu Lei completing the rout either side of half-time.

    SIPG was bumped into second place in the group courtesy of Urawa’s hammering of Seoul, five separate scorers doing the damage against South Korea’s champion. SIPG and Urawa will meet on the next matchday, tied at the top of Group F after winning both of their respective opening games.

    “The team played very well today,” SIPG coach Andre Villas-Boas said at the post-match press conference. “We created a lot of scoring opportunities, which boosted our confidence to go forward. Our next two matches are against Urawa, which would be crucial to the group (ranking) — we hope to keep up the performance.”

    Wu Lei, player of the match, said afterwards that Oscar’s arrival has improved the team’s attacking tempo, and it is ready to take on Changchun Yatai in their Chinese Super League 2017 season opener Saturday.

    Villas-Boas, however, is yet to decide on his lineup for that match. Under the new regulations each team has to start with at least one U23 player and at most three foreigners.

    “We still have three more days to figure it out,” the Portuguese coach said. “All players are playing extremely well, but we will have to drop one (foreigner) under the rule, which I think will be a pity for the fans.”

    Wanderers head coach Tony Popovic said the result was a clear indication of SIPG’s quality. “We had 56 percent possession in the first half, which is not bad in an away game but SIPG’s class showed.”

    The biggest win was secured by Ulsan, which bounced back from an opening defeat at the hands of Kashima Antlers by hammering Roar 6-0. Kim In-sung and Mislav Orisic helped themselves to braces as the Roar defense was parted time and time again.

    The heavy scoreline was arguably not the most eye-catching result in Group E as Muangthong recorded its first victory in the Champions League proper, beating Kashima 2-1 thanks to former Deportivo la Coruna and Newcastle United striker Xisco’s 95th-minute effort.

    Incredibly, all four in the games across Group C and Group D featured last-gasp winners. Omar Abdulrahman’s spot-kick a minute from time downed Bunyodkor 3-2, while 10-man Al Ahli had Omar Al Somah to thank in its 2-1 win over Zob Ahan, his 86th-minute strike helping it stay on top of Group C.

    (SD-Agencies)