Kuala Lumpur: Nicolas Milesi has been named the Toyota Player of the Week after the Al Hilal midfielder netted a brace in the thrilling 4-3 victory over Qatar’s Al Rayyan in the final group game of the 2017 AFC Champions League, ensuring the Saudi Arabian side took top spot in Group D.
The 24-year-old Uruguayan scored Al Hilal’s first and third goals from three shots on target in the rollercoaster tie in Doha, and created a further two chances, while boasting a 90.5% passing accuracy from 63 total passes to earn himself a 9.1 rating.
Next on the list was Kawasaki Frontale forward Rhayner, who scored and chalked up an assist in the comfortable 4-0 defeat of Hong Kong’s Eastern SC in Group G which effectively won the J.League club the group and saw the Brazilian awarded an 8.9 rating.
With 94 total touches, three shots, 72 total passes of which he tallied a passing accuracy of 90.3%, the 26-year-old former Fluminese player was in fine fettle in Tuesday’s tie in Ibaraki.
Third on the Toyota Player of the Week list is Soroush Rafiei from Persepolis of Islamic Republic of Iran after the midfielder helped his side overcome Al Wahda 4-2 in Group D and ensure a place in the last 16.
Rafiei netted the opener on 17 minutes and created three chances as Mehdi Taremi’s hat-trick ensured the points and the place in the knockout stage would be Persepolis.
The 28-year-old Rafiei netted his goal from his only shot on target, but won seven fouls and boasted an 87.8% passing accuracy from his 41 passes as well as completing three tackles for a rating of 8.7.
Back in the East, Ricardo Goulart finished in fourth position after his two goals on Tuesday helped two-time winners Guangzhou Evergrande to a 2-2 draw with Korean club Suwon Samung Bluewings that ensured the Chinese side progressed to the Round of 16 as Group G runners-up.
The Brazilian midfielder cancelled out Yeom Ki-hun’s opener for the visitors on 17 minutes before putting Guangzhou ahead on the 68th minute and created two further chances for his team-mates as well as tallying a 73.8% passing accuracy from his 42 total passes.
Goulart also chalked up 57 total touches and won three fouls as he was awarded an 8.6 rating.
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Rounding off the top five is another midfielder albeit in the opposite side of the continent: Saudi side Al Ahli’s Abdulfattah Asiri. The 23-year-old scored the game’s opening goal against Iran’s Zobahan on 63 minutes from his two shots on target for the Saudi side and totaled 46 passes with a passing accuracy of 82.6% to net an 8.4 rating.
Lekhwiya’s Ali Afif came in sixth place with an 8.4 rating after scoring in the Qatari club’s 4-1 win over Al Fateh. Completing the top eight, meanwhile, are Al Ain star Omar Abdulrahman and Kawasaki’s Ryota Oshima, who both tallied 8.3 ratings.
Photos: Lagardère Sports
Source: the-afc.com