Beijing Guoan showcased their formidable domestic form on the continental stage, extending the club's unbeaten run to 16 matches in all competitions with a convincing 3-1 victory against the Republic of Korea's Pohang Steelers, in their AFC Champions League Elite opener at home on Tuesday.

The game began explosively for Guoan, who took the lead just two minutes after kickoff, when Chadrac Akolo capitalized on Pohang's defensive hesitancy to slot the ball into the bottom corner. But the Steelers leveled the score four minutes later, with Deng Jiefu's foul in the box against Kento Nishiya leading to a penalty, which Jakob Tranziska calmly converted.

It took Beijing just six minutes to respond. Following an ill-timed spill from goalkeeper Yun Pyeong-guk, Zhang Xizhe was quickest to react, moving the home side back in front at 2-1. Remarkably, three goals were scored in the opening 12 minutes, setting the tone for what proved to be an eventful contest.

Guoan's third goal came in the first minute of the second half, after Pohang failed to effectively clear a corner kick and former Dortmund midfielder Jeremy Dudziak seized the opportunity to net his first goal with the Chinese Super League side, sealing the 3-1 victory.

Over in Thailand, three-time defending CSL champions Shanghai Port visited Ratchaburi for a thrilling encounter, prevailing in a jaw-dropping 6-4 finish.

Port stormed to a 3-0 lead in the first half, paced by a hat-trick from on-loan Ghanaian striker Prince Ampem. Veteran forward Wu Lei added a fourth goal in the 51st minute, seemingly putting the match out of reach.

Despite the daunting deficit, Ratchaburi refused to surrender and launched a spirited comeback. Nyiva Rakotoharimalala scored twice in quick succession, first in the 71st minute and again in the 84th, closing the gap to 4-2. Jame Grau restored some breathing room for the side from Shanghai, making it 5-2 with just four minutes left on the clock.

Rakotoharimalala completed his own hat-trick in the fifth minute of stoppage time, however, before Ekanit Panya trimmed the margin to 5-4 less than 60 seconds later. Leonardo then sealed the deal with Port's sixth goal of the night, wrapping up the scoring in an absolutely wild encounter at 6-4.