Adisak Kraisorn's injury-time strike secured a 1-1 draw for Buriram United against ambitious Chinese team Shandong Luneng on the opening night of the AFC Champions League on Tuesday.
Shandong, under new Brazilian coach Cuca who won last year's Copa Libertadores with Atletico Mineiro, appeared to have the game won in Jinan when Liu Binbin scored with just seven minutes to go.
But two minutes into stoppage time, second-half substitute Adisak capitalised on some sloppy defending from a long-range free-kick to snatch the precious equaliser.
The result was a reminder of the fighting spirit that took the Thai treble-winners to last year's quarter-finals.
But it was a chastening start for Shandong, last year's Chinese Super League runners-up who have invested heavily in a bid to match domestic and Asian champions Guangzhou Evergrande.
Elsewhere, FC Seoul shrugged off the departure of two key players from their run to last year's final as they dominated Central Coast Mariners for a 2-0 win at home.
An Osmar Barba penalty and a Yun Il-Lok strike sealed a straightforward win for Seoul, who lost midfielder Ha Dae-Sung to Group F rivals Beijing Guoan, and striker Dejan Damjanovic to Jiangsu Sainty.
Ha instantly showed his value to Beijing when he scored the first goal in their 1-1 draw away to Japan's J-League champions Sanfrecce Hiroshima.
Tuesday's other Group E game also ended 1-1 when Pohang Steelers came from behind to earn a point against Cerezo Osaka.
