Thai League 1 champions SCG Muang Thong United continued their unbeaten run in the AFC Champions League after holding South Korea's Ulsan Hyundai to a scoreless draw on Tuesday.
Muang Thong's Theerathon Bunmathan, right, in action against Ulsan Hyundai.
In the other Group E match, Japan's Kashima Antlers thrashed Brisbane Roar 3-0 to take over the top spot from the Thais.
After three games, Kashima have six points, Muang Thong five, Ulsan four and Brisbane one.
Muang Thong will next host Ulsan on April 12 when Kashima travel to Brisbane.
The top two teams of each group advance to the next round. Muang Thong have never got past the group stage of the continental club championship.
At Ulsan, Muang Thong lost their defender Theerathon Bunmathan through injury after a clash with Ulsan captain Ivan Kovacec inside the first 10 minutes.
Club doctor Pornthep Mamanee said Theerathon's injury looked serious as he could miss Thailand's World Cup qualifiers against Saudi Arabia and Japan later this month.
Theerathon was replaced by fellow Thailand international Peerapat Notechaiya.
Peerapat and former Ulsan player Celio did a good job to neutralise the Koreans' attacks.
While the home side dominated for long periods, the Kirins also had a couple of good chances.
Striker Teerasil Dangda beat an offside trap and went clear in the second half only to see his shot saved by Ulsan goalkeeper Kim Yong-Dae.
At Kashima, the hosts dominated first-half possession, but just when it looked as if a resilient Brisbane defence would go to the interval unbreached, right-back Yukitoshi Ito broke down the flank in the 43rd minute and crossed for Yuma Suzuki to power home a sharp first-time finish on the turn into the bottom corner of Jamie Young's goal.
The Brisbane goalkeeper was cruelly credited with an own goal in the 76th minute despite Naomichi Ueda seemingly kicking the ball from the keeper's grasp during a near-post scramble following a corner.
Iranian referee Alireza Faghani waved away the protests of the Brisbane players who claimed Young had been fouled by Ueda.
Three minutes later Young was powerless to stop Kashima sealing the three points when Yasushi Endo cut inside from the right and fired home an unstoppable left-footed finish into the far corner.
Kashima were stunned 2-1 away to Muang Thong in their previous match.
"We lost our last game [in Thailand] and wanted to do whatever we could do to bounce back. I'm glad we won," said Suzuki.
Brisbane came into the match still smarting from a 6-0 drubbing by Ulsan in their last match.