IR Iran international Mehdi Taremi, Japan’s Ayase Ueda and Shunsuke Mito and Korea Republic’s Son Heung-min also kept the Asian flag flying high with fine performances elsewhere in European competitions.

Follow the-AFC.com as we look at what the Asian contingent has been up to in Europe this past week.
England: Khusanov’s baptism of fire
Abdukodir Khusanov made his debut for Manchester City in their 3-1 win against Chelsea but it was a tough introduction to the Premier League for the Uzbekistan international.

The 20-year-old, who joined from Lens for a reported £۳۴ million (US$42 million) last week, gifted Chelsea the opening goal, scored by Noni Madueke, with a poor header after just three minutes.
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Khusanov was then booked and lucky to avoid a red card for bringing down Cole Palmer before he was replaced early in the second half by John Stones.

Japan captain Wataru Endo came on in the 63rd minute as Liverpool overwhelmed Ipswich Town 4-1 at Anfield. Their 18-match unbeaten run maintained the Reds’ six-point lead in the top flight.

Second-placed Arsenal beat Wolves 1-0 in a match that saw the latter’s Korea Republic international Hwang Hee-chan come on in the 32nd minute and red cards flashed to players on both sides.
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Southampton suffered their 19th league defeat of the season when they went down 3-1 to Newcastle. The Saints sent on Japan international defender Yukinari Sugawara in the second half but the damage had already been done.

Japan international Kaoru Mitoma started in midfield in Brighton’s 1-0 loss to Everton, who secured their first back-to-back Premier League wins this season.

Korea Republic international Son Heung-min started for Tottenham Hotspur against Leicester City, a match which saw the London side’s Premier League woes continue with a 2-1 loss – their seventh consecutive winless match.

There was some consolation for Spurs, however, on Matchday 7 of the Europa League when Son delivered a brace in their 3-2 win over German side TSG Hoffenheim. Son struck in the 22nd and 77th minutes after James Maddison opened the scoring in the third.

Japan international midfielder Daichi Kamada came on late in the second half as Crystal Palace lost 2-1 to Brentford, which marked Palace’s first defeat in five matches.
Scotland: Strain’s Dundee go down to Rangers
Australian international Ryan Strain played a full match for Dundee United as they went down 3-1 to Rangers. Dundee now sit 13 points behind second-placed Rangers, who are in turn 10 points behind leaders Celtic.

Hibernian’s Australian trio of Martin Boyle, Nectarios Triantis and Jack Iredale started in their 1-1 draw with Ross County, who fielded their compatriot Josh Nisbet.

Motherwell brought in Australia’s John Koutroumbis in their 2-1 loss to St. Johnstone, a result that leaves them fifth in the Premiership with 31 points.

Australian international Cameron Devlin also took to the pitch in Heart’s 3-2 win over Kilmarnock.
Germany: Kim seals it for Bayern
Korea Republic defender Kim Min-jae’s 54th-minute close-range header proved the winner for Bayern Munich in their 2-1 victory over SC Freiburg, who fielded Japan international Ritsu Doan from the start.
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Japan’s Shuto Machino started for Holstein Kiel in their 2-2 draw with Wolfsburg but the 25-year-old, who has seven goals thus far, was substituted in the 59th minute.

Mainz’s Japan midfielder Kaishu Sano and Korea Republic international Lee Jae-sung played in their 2-0 win over VFB Stuttgart and were both yellow-carded – Sano for a foul in the 16th minute and Lee for a similar offence two minutes in time added on in the first half.

St Pauli’s Australian captain Jackson Irvine led his side to a 3-0 win over Union Berlin and assisted the first goal by Morgan Guilavogui.
France: Nakamura saves Riems, Ryan makes debut
Keito Nakamura’s 56th-minute equaliser earned Reims a 1-1 draw against Paris Saint-Germain, with the Japan forward claiming his eighth goal of the season from close range. His countryman Junya Ito started the match and was replaced by Hiroki Sekine three minutes into injury time.

Korea Republic international midfielder Lee Kang-in started for PSG, who remain unbeaten after 19 matches.

Australian custodian Mathew Ryan debuted for Lens after a permanent transfer from AS Roma a week earlier and marked his appearance with a clean sheet in their 1-0 win over Angers.

His compatriot Denis Genreau played 76 minutes for Toulouse in their 1-2 loss to Montpellier.

Japan’s Ado Onaiwu came on in the 83rd minute as Auxerre drew 1-1 with St. Etienne. Takumi Minamino started for AS Monaco in their 3-2 win over Rennes, but the Japan international was flashed a yellow card in the 73rd and substituted a minute later.
Netherlands: Ueda, Mito on target
Ayase Ueda scored Feyenoord’s third goal in their 3-0 win over Bayern Munich on Matchday 7 of the UEFA Champions League. The Japan international came on in the 83rd minute and scored six minutes later to claim his second goal of the campaign.

Sparta Rotterdam’s Shunsuke Mito struck the opener in their 2-1 win against AZ Alkmaar, picking up a cross into the box in the 72nd and drilling a low shot into the bottom left corner. His compatriot Seiya Makuma was on the field for Alkmaar.

Iraqi international Zidane Iqbal started in Utrecht’s 1-1 draw with Heracles but was replaced in the 67th minute.

IR Iran’s Alireza Jahanbakhsh was replaced six minutes before the end of regulation time in Heerenveen’s 1-0 loss to FC Groningen.

PEC Zwolle’s Indonesian international midfielder Eliano Reijnders came on in the 72nd in their 4-1 win over Fortuna Sittard.
Italy: Taremi sinks his first
Inter’s IR Iran international Mehdi Taremi capped a fine performance by his side with a 61st-minute penalty, his first goal of the season, to send Leece to a 4-0 defeat.
Inter, with four wins in their last five matches, trail Serie A leaders Napoli by three points.

Parma goalkeeper Zion Suzuki did not have the best of days when his side went down 3-2 to AC Milan, with the Japan international letting in goals in the 38th, 92nd and 95th minutes.

Uzbekistan captain Eldor Shomurodov came on for AS Roma in the second half in their 2-1 win over Udinese, a result which stretches his side’s unbeaten run to five matches.
Spain: Asano’s Mallorca fall twice
Japan international Takuma Asano came on in the 11th minute in Mallorca’s 4-0 defeat to Villareal on January 21. He also played from the 64th minute in their 1-0 loss to Real Betis four days later.

Fellow international Takefusa Kubo started for Real Sociedad in their 3-0 loss to Getafe and
compounded a bad day out when he was yellow-carded five minutes into injury time.
Belgium: Al Ghamdi sees red
Saudi Arabia international Faisal Al Ghamdi was red-carded in the 33rd minute in Beerschot FC’s 4-0 loss to third-placed Union Saint-Gilloise in the Belgian Pro League. Beerschot sit at the bottom of the table with two wins from 23 matches.
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Jordan Bos played a full game for 13th-placed Westerlo and assisted as they lost 2-1 to league leaders Genk. The Australian international has three goals thus far in 16 appearances.