GAMBA OSAKA (JPN) v ADELAIDE UNITED (AUS) (0 – 2) (FT)
BRISBANE ROAR (AUS) v BEIJING GUOAN (CHN) (1 – 1) (FT)
ULSAN HYUNDAI (KOR) v FC TOKYO (JPN) (1 – 0) (FT)
BUNYODKOR (UZB) v POHANG STEELERS (KOR) (1 – 0) (FT)

NASAF (UZB) v ESTEGHLAL (IRN) (0 – 2) (FT)
AL RAYYAN (QAT) v AL JAZIRA (UAE) (3 – 4) (FT)
BANIYAS (UAE) v PAKHTAKOR (UZB) (2 – 0) (FT)
AL ITTIHAD (KSA) v AL ARABI (QAT) (3 – 2) (FT)

Esteghlal 3-0 Al Rayyan
Esteghlal moved within touching distance of a spot in the last 16 of the AFC Champions League after they regained second place in Group A with a decisive 3-0 victory over Al Rayyan.

The hosts dominated the opening half and took the lead after 23 minutes when Borhani slotted home from the penalty spot after Al Rayyan’s Brazilian striker Afonso Alves had handled the ball in his own box.

Al Rayyan coach Diego Aguirre felt aggrieved by the decision, which he felt was the turning point of the game.

Esteghlal should have extended their advantage five minutes before half-time when Milad Midavoodi broke clear with only goalkeeper Oumar Barry to beat but fired his effort against the left upright. Borhani was following up but he rushed his effort and fired it against the outside of the same post.

The home side added some insurance with a controversial second goal in the 76th minute. Esmaeil Sharifat appeared to be offside when he ran on to a pass by Andranik Teymourian but he was allowed to run on and rounded Barry before slotting into the empty net.

Borhani rounded off the win with his third goal of the tournament deep into stoppage time when he was found unmarked by Mojtaba Jabari and easily beat Barry.

Al Jazira 4-1 Nasaf

Ricardo Oliveira scored a first-half hat-trick which included two penalties to help Al Jazira to seal first place in Group A of the AFC Champions League with a 4-1 win over Nasaf.

After fellow Brazilian Bare (Jader Volnei Spindler) had given the United Arab Emirates club an early lead at the Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium, Oliveira struck three times to put the hosts four goals up at the break.

Ilkhom Shomurodov pulled a goal back for the Uzbek side with 21 minutes left but it was merely a consolation as the Abu Dhabi club moved up to 13 points in their group, which secured them the top spot and a home game against the runners-up from Group C in the round of 16.

Nasaf are assured of finishing last after managing only one point from their first five games.

The deadlock was broken after only six minutes. Oliveira got his head to a corner from the left which was cleared off the goal-line. However, Lucas Neill got to the loose ball first and played it to Bare, who turned in his effort from close range.

Oliveira got on to the scoresheet in the 14th minute when he converted a penalty following a handball by Bojan Malisic and he added his second in the 32nd minute when he was played in by a neat pass from Matias Delgado and curled the ball past goalkeeper Gayratjon Hasanov.

The Brazilian completed his hat-trick four minutes before half-time when he slammed the ball into the top corner after another penalty was awarded to the hosts for Hasanov’s foul on Bare.

The home side took their foot of the pedal after the break and Nasaf were able to cut the deficit in the 69th minute after Ilhom Yunusov beat a defender before setting up an opportunity for Shomurodov who slotted past the goalkeeper.

Nasaf 0-1 Al Rayyan
Al Rayyan claimed their first ever away win in the AFC Champions League with a 1-0 victory at Nasaf boosting their chances of an appearance in the knockout phase.

The victory was Al Rayyan’s second in a row against the Uzbek club in Group A following their 3-1 win in Doha two weeks ago and it moved them up to second with six points, four behind group leaders Al Jazira and one ahead of Esteghlal with two games to play.

Nasaf have only one point from four games and are out of contention for a spot in the last 16.

Al Rayyan had most of the play and the chances early in the first half. Fabio Cesar shot wide with an opportunistic effort from 20 metres in the opening minutes and Daniel Goma tested Hasanov with an effort from even further out in the 10th minute.

Nasaf’s defence was caught ball-watching when Goma ghosted into the box and fired a loose ball on target which Hasanov saved well.

Later in the first half, goalkeeper Hasanov was rounded by Tabata after a brilliant run by the Brazilian that also took him past three Nasaf defenders. They were saved by Latvian midfielder Andrejs Pereplotkins, who got back in time to turn his goalbound effort wide.

Nasaf offered little in attack during the first half with Ilkhom Shomurodov going closest for the hosts with an 18th minute header that he put wide of the target.

Al Rayyan continued to turn the screw in the second half and Tabata nearly profited when he directed a shot on target after Hasanov dropped a corner only to see his effort cleared off the line by Botir Karaev.

However, the deadlock was finally broken by Tabata’s sensational strike in the 62nd minute. The free-kick from a central position nearly 40 metres from goal appeared to be too far out to really worry Hasanov but such was the power and accuracy of the Brazilian’s shot that it found the bottom right corner of the net despite the Nasaf goalkeeper getting a touch to it.

Nasaf could not muster a response and they could even have conceded another right at the end when Bojan Malisic deflected Tabata’s free-kick into his own net only for the referee to disallow it for a shove on Malisic by Alves.

Al Jazira 1-1 Esteghlal
Al Jazira confirmed their spot in the knockout phase of the AFC Champions League when they drew 1-1 with Esteghlal on Wednesday.

Al Jazira entered the match with a perfect record after victories in their first three games. It was Esteghlal however who had the better of the early exchanges and took the lead in the 24th minute. Ferydoon Zandi was the architect of the goal, taking the ball to the left byline before cutting it back for Borhani to fire a first-time effort past Al Jazira goalkeeper Ali Khaseif.

The home side had a good chance to draw level right before half-time when Oliveira made a strong run that took him past three defenders before he put his shot wide of the left upright.

However the Brazilian would get on the scoresheet just after the hour mark with what would prove to be a crucial goal. The Brazilian rose to meet Subait Khater’s corner from the left but the ball hit his back rather than his head and looped past goalkeeper Mehdi Rahmati for the equaliser.

Esteghlal 1-2 Al Jazira
Al Jazira are now three from three in Group A with Esteghlal losing their first home game in the AFC Champions League.

Esteghlal had not lost a home game in some 12 appearances in the AFC Champions League competition. Playing at home they came out rather strongly to start with and had their first chance within 2 minutes of the kick-off.

Six minutes later however Esteghlal were down 1 – 0. Matias Delgado swung in a free-kick from the left flank and Juma Abdulla rose above the Esteghlal defence to head past Rahmati, who had come well off his line but failed to get near the ball.

Whilst Esteghlal dominated the game, it was Al Jazira who looked the more likely to score again. Bare had a great opportunity denied by the woodwork.

Five minutes later, Jlloyd Samuel picked out Borhani with a delightful long pass but the Esteghlal striker was denied once again by Khaseif, who bravely stood his ground to block his powerful shot.

Following the restart, Esteghlal with more intent on scoring. Esmaeil Sharifat had a great opportunity from close range in the 55th minute and Borhani’s shot on the turn hitting the outside of the post shortly afterwards.

Sharifat had a header go wide in the 65th minute but the pressure finally paid off three minutes later when Zandi’s speculative shot from 30 metres took a deflection off Juma Abdulla which wrong-footed Khaseif and rolled into the opposite side of the net.

Given their dominance of the game, it should have spurred Esteghlal on to win the game, but Al Jazira were the ones to score again. Rahmati came out of his box in a vain attempt to cut off a long pass to Oliveira but found himself trapped in no man’s land when the Brazilian got to the ball first. Oliveira unselfishly squared the ball to Bare, who smashed the ball past defender Khosro Heydari with Rahmati still scrambling to get back into position.

The goal complete deflated the home side and the best effort at an equaliser that they could muster in the closing minutes was a header by Samuel that flew narrowly wide.

Al Jazira 3-2 Al Rayyan

Al Jazira where able to hold of a committed Al Rayyan and make it two from two on Tuesday as the UAE Pro League champions maintained a 100% record in Group A of the AFC Champions League.

Goals from Ricardo De Oliveira, captain Ibrahim Diaky and Abdulla Mousa had put Al Jazira into a seemingly comfortable position after 57 minutes at Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium.

After testing Al Rayyan goalkeeper Soud Al Hajri inside the opening minutes, De Oliveira opened the scoring on the eight minute mark with a rocketing left-footed strike after capitalising on Al Rayyan’s hesitation to deal with a long ball forward.

A smart save from Al Jazira goalkeeper Ali Khaseif maintained the home side’s lead after Nathan Otavio had found space in behind the Al Jazira defence. The Al Rayyan keeper was also quick to save his team from going two nil down with a last-ditch save at the feet of Brazilian striker Bare.

The second goal did finally arrive, as Matias Delgado and Bare worked the ball across the face of the Al Rayyan goal to the onrushing Diaky nine minutes after the restart and the captain slid in near the penalty spot to lift the ball high into the roof of the net.

And three minutes later Mousa’s superb solo goal extended the home side’s lead after the midfielder was allowed time and space to surge down the left before driving a rising strike seemingly through an unconvincing Al Hajri and into the opposite corner.

Al Rayyan, though, pulled a goal back eight minutes later as Goumou rifled home from 25 yards with Khaseif unable to scramble across his goal quickly enough to save the low drilled effort.

Al Rayyan’s second goal came with 12 minutes left on the clock as Rodrigo Tabata’s shot deflected off two Al Jazira players, falling into the path of Cesar, who coolly beat the onrushing Khaseif.

Esteghlal 0-0 Nasaf

AFC Cup winners Nasaf picked up their first points for the 2012 tournament (first points ever in fact) with a 0 – 0 result against Esteghlal.

Newly-crowned Hazfi Cup champions, Esteghlal were able to extended their unbeaten run to four games in the competition after following up back-to-back wins in the play-offs with a 1-0 win over Al Rayyan two weeks ago, but will be disappointed to have dropped points at home after beating Al Rayyan in Qatar on Matchday One.

And with UAE Pro League champions Al Jazira beating Al Rayyan 3-2, Esteghlal find themselves two points off the pace in Group A.

In a game of few note-worthy chances, Esteghlal’s Goran Jerkovic had the only real chance of the first half as the French striker shot straight at Murotion Zukhurov after netting the stoppage time winner against Al Rayyan two weeks ago.

In the second half, Arash Borhani shot wide after suddenly finding himself clean through on goal before Andrejs Pereplotkins wasted a glorious chance for Nasaf with 10 minutes remaining as the Latvian failed to find the target from Artur Gevorkyan’s cross.

Sepahan rallied from a goal down to post an emphatic 4-1 victory over Al Jazira and top 2011 AFC Champions League Group A on Wednesday.

Brazilian Bare opened the scoring for the hosts after 14 minutes but Javad Kazemian got Sepahan level just after the half-hour mark before the visitors turned the screw after the break.

Senegal’s Ibrahima Toure scored twice and Reza Enayati completed the 4-1 win for the Iranian champions at the Mohammad Bin Zayed Stadium that seals top spot regardless of Al Hilal’s result against Al Gharafa.

Al Jazira coach Abel Braga rested most of his regulars but Bare nevertheless gave the home team the early lead with a superb strike.

Sepahan, who had never won in five matches at United Arab Emirates clubs, must have been wondering whether that jinx would haunt them again when an unmarked Toure headed wide.

However in the 31st minute, Sepahan did get back on level terms. Toure’s acrobatic attempt flew across the goalmouth and Kazemian, a former UAE League player, did well to squeeze his shot in from a difficult angle – much to the surprise of Al Jazira goalkeeper Ali Khasief.

Brazilian Fabio Januario was off target for Sepahan while at the other end, Ibrahim Diaky passed up the chance to get the hosts back in front when his shot hit the crossbar.

Sepahan attacked with more purpose after the interval and soon had their reward.

Kazemian was just unable to pounce on the follow-up when Khosro Heidari’s shot was saved by Khasief but the travelling support did not have to wait long for their second goal.

Toure made an unstoppable run into the box in the 61st minute and fired home to make it 2-1.

And 10 minutes later, Ehsan Hajisafi squared the ball back for an unmarked Toure, who produced a clinical finish.

Braga’s men were down and out and Sepahan sealed their first win in the UAE in style in stoppage time, when Mohammad Herawi crossed for substitute Enayati to head home.

Al Hilal secured their place in the last 16 of the 2011 AFC Champions League with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Al Gharafa at King Fahd International Stadium.

Needing just a point to go through, second-half goals from Yasser Al Qahtani and Ahmed Al Fraidi were enough to see off the Qataris in the Group A encounter and book a trip to Jeddah rivals Al Ittihad in the last 16.

Younis Mahmoud battled manfully for Al Gharafa but he ploughed a lonely furrow up front as the Qataris were unable to create much against a quality Al Hilal outfit.

The hosts had a good opening after nine minutes when Al Qahtani got free to meet Mirel Radoi’s corner but sent his header wide of the far post.

Mahmoud then fashioned a chance for himself when a neat turn in the box sent two Al Hilal defenders the wrong way but his shot lacked power and the keeper parried the ball away.

Ahmed Ali Kamel latched onto a ball over the top of the Al Gharafa defence but his weak shot was cleared in the 28th minute and Al Qahtani saw an acrobatic overhead kick sail wide of the target 10 minutes later as the first-half ended goalless.

However, Al Hilal broke the deadlock two minutes after the interval when a corner from the left was glanced on by Majed Al Marshadi and Al Qahtani prodded home at the far post.

Al Fraidi tried to chip Al Gharafa keeper Qasem Burhan but the ball landed on the roof of the net before Otman El Assas saw his strike from 25 yards skip just past the post on the hour mark.

Al Fraidi then produced a shot on the turn from the edge of the area that Burhan got down to save before the striker doubled Al Hilal’s lead with seven minutes to go.

Al Qahtani got in behind the Al Gharafa backline to get on the end of a long ball before he pulled it back to the onrushing Al Fraidi in the box and he slotted a composed finish past Burhan.

With Al Gharafa becoming increasingly more desperate, they left holes at the back for Al Hilal to exploit and Christian Wilhelmsson tried to round Burhan in injury time but the Al Gharafa keeper got a hand on the ball to avert the danger.

Al Gharafa kept their 2011 AFC Champions League hopes alive with an emphatic 5-2 victory over Al Jazira at Al Gharafa Stadium.

Al Gharafa threatened first and Ahmed Fares saw a long-range shot curl just over the bar with Al Jazira keeper Ali Kashief beaten after four minutes.

A minute later, Al Gharafa striker Mahmood saw a header fly narrowly over the top but he gave his side the lead in the 10th minute thanks to an error from Kashief.

The Al Jazira keeper took too long over a clearance with Mahmood lurking and under pressure from the forward, booted his clearance against the opponent. The ball ballooned back over his head, hit the crossbar and Mahmood had the simplest of tasks to nod the ball home.

Mahmood then turned provider two minutes later when he played in Diane but he failed to find the target from close range.

Al Jazira then levelled just after the half-hour mark through Jumaa when Khalid Sebil made progress down the right before delivering a cross for his team-mate to head home.

Al Gharafa keeper Qasam Burhan then gifted Al Jazira the lead when he brought down striker Ali Ahmed with a reckless challenge inside the box. Uzbekistan referee Valentin Kovalenko pointed towards the spot and Oliveira smartly converted to give his side the lead in the 37th minute.

The home side came out full of intent in the second period and levelled three minutes in.

Mahmood played a through pass to Diane and he drew the Al Jazira keeper before slipping a neat finish into the back of the net.

Three minutes later, Diane tried his luck from the edge of the Al Jazira box but his curling shot almost scraped the cross bar but was ultimately off target.

Al Zain then netted the third from close-in on the hour mark following a free-kick before Kashief committed his second grave error of the evening two minutes later when he came charging out of his box but Diane rounded the keeper before feeding Mahmood, who calmly slotted the ball into an empty net in the 62nd minute.

Mahmood then completed his hat-trick with 10 minutes to go with a deft header to complete a comfortable victory for the hosts.

Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal rallied from a two-goal deficit to pull off an incredible 3-2 victory over hosts Al Jazira in Wednesday’s 2011 AFC Champions League Group A clash.

Al Jazira stunned the Saudi giants with two quick goals towards the end of the first-half but Al Hilal regained their composure and pulled off a fine win to move a step closer to a second-round place with nine points from four games, the same as Iranian side Sepahan.

The first 10 minutes of the match were played at a frenetic pace with the Saudi side building some attractive moves but they failed to match their approach work and hardly tested stand in keeper Khaled Eisa.

While Al Hilal impressed with their bulid-up, Al Jazira also had a few attempts and in the 24th minute an Ahmed Jumaa cross was thwarted just before Ali Mabkhout could reach it before Mabkhout tried a fine overhead volley which went wide.

The home fans were then delirious with joy as Al Jazira struck twice within a space of two minutes on the stroke of half-time.

The first came from a brilliant move initiated by defender Juma Abdullah, who ran down the left flank and then pulled the ball back for Jumaa and he crossed to Mabkhout. Jumaa then raced into the box to receive the ball back from Abdullah Qasem and tapped it across to Mabkhout who slammed the ball through Al Hilal goalkeeper Hasan Al Otaibi’s legs for the lead.

Al Jazira struck again from the restart when Qasem intercepted a backpass from Abdullah Al Zori to Mirel Radoi and went on to keep his cool to beat the advancing Al Otaibi.

Al Hilal then struck a purple patch and scored three goals in 20 minutes. It began in the 56th minute with Al Qahtani’s free-kick deflecting off a defender’s leg and flew into the top-left corner, giving no chance to Eisa, before the 2007 AFC Player of the Year did well to squeeze home between the goalkeeper and the post for the equaliser eight minutes later.

The winner came in the 74th minute after Eisa saved a Radoi free-kick and from the resultant corner kick, Osama Hawsawi jumped for the ball and substitute Mohammed Al Menhali felled the airborne Saudi player to give away a penalty. This time Eisa was beaten by Radoi and Al Hilal heaved a sigh of relief.

Amara Diane’s first-half goal saw Al Gharafa end Sepahan’s perfect record in the 2011 AFC Champions League and boost their flagging hopes of place in the knockout stage.

Diane struck in the 19th minute of the Group A clash at Al Gharafa Stadium and the hosts could even afford to see Juninho miss a penalty in the second-half as they collected their first win of the campaign and inflicted Sepahan’s first defeat in the process.

In the 32nd minute, Sepahan captain Moharram Navidkia almost scored direct from a corner but the ball was helped over the crossbar to safety by Burhan.

The second period began at ferocious pace as the visiting side mounted a series of attacks to try and find an equaliser but it was Al Gharafa who nearly scored a second time as Ahmed Fares’ fierce shot from close range was blocked by keeper Rahmati.

Juninho then exhibited great calm under pressure when he stole the ball from the feet of Toure with the striker set to pull the trigger from six yards out.

In the 73rd minute, Sepahan’s Mohsen Bengar curled in a swinging free-kick from distance that team-mate Enyati diverted just too high.

Sepahan 2-0 Al Gharafa
Sepahan made it three wins out of three as goals from Hadi Aghily and Ahmad Jamshidian sealed a 2-0 win over Al Gharafa at the Foolad Shahr.

Following a goalless first-half, the hosts went in front in the 54th minute when Aghily converted from the spot after Ibrahima Toure had been brought down in the box.

Jamshidian then wrapped up the points 11 minutes later when he beat Al Gharafa keeper Qasem Burhan from long range with a swerving strike to leave the Iranians on the verge of a place in the last 16. Al Gharafa, meanwhile, are yet to find the back of the net in three 2011 AFC Champions League games.

The opening 45 minutes proved light on both entertainment and chances with Fabio Januario’s fierce strike from 25 yards that flew just off target with Burhan – wearing a protective mask – scrambling across his goal the closest either side came to breaking the deadlock.

But the game sprang to life in the second period when Sepahan took the lead nine minutes after the break.

Toure brought down a high ball in the box but before the striker could advance on goal he was felled by Al Gharafa defender Bilal Mohamed.

Aghiliy stepped up and coolly side-footed home the resultant penalty, sending Burhan the wrong way.

Toure had a great chance to double Sepahan’s lead in the 63rd minute but he side-footed a low cross wide from eight yards when unmarked.

The miss did not prove costly, though, as two minutes later Jamshidian netted the second goal when he beat Burhan at his near post from 25 yards with the keeper rooted to his line.

The Al Gharafa keeper had to be at full stretch to turn another Jamshidian effort from distance around the post in the 67th minute.

Amare Diane flashed a dangerous cross across the Sepahan six-yard box but nobody could apply the finish before Januario tried to lob Burhan but the ball landed on top of the net.

Juninho’s dipping free-kick with nine minutes to go saw Sepahan keeper Mahdi Rahmati forced into a scrambling save with his knees and Otman El Assas curled a shot just past the post as Al Gharafa threatened a late comeback.

Toure then shot tamely at Burhan at the other end and substitute Hossein Papi could not hit the target from 40 yards after the Al Gharafa keeper had come charging out of his goal in stoppage time.

Al Gharafa 0-1 Al Hilal
Baptism of fire for Al Gharafa’s new coach Metsu as Al Hilal won away 1 – 0 to take all three points in the Group A clash.

It was a slow start to the game. The first real attempt on goal was from Mohamed Gharib who managed to sneak past two Al Gharafa players to get in a sharp header in the 15th minute but defender Ibrahim Al Ghanim blocked him.

In the 19th minute, Gharib glided past George Kwesi but lost possession as he charged into the Al Gharafa box. Wilhelmsson swooped on the ball, though, and calmly produced a chip past goalkeeper Qassim Burhan to open put Al Hilal one nil up.

Four minutes later, Al Hilal’s Mohammed Al Shalhoub shot from close range but his effort was smartly collected by a leaping Burhan standing close to the goal line.

Mounting another attack, Wilhelmsson came close to scoring his second but Kwesi and captain Juninho combined well to block his shot in the 27th minute.

Just after the break, midfielder Juninho curled a free-kick in but Mahmood’s header from the edge of the box went beyond the far post.

Al Gharafa’s Iraqi striker Mahmood fired a bullet from close to the penalty spot eight minutes after the restart but Al Hilal goalkeeper Hasan Al Otaibi was well positioned to punch the shot away.

In the 75th minute, substitute Abdul Aziz Al Dawsari charged into the Al Gharafa box but Burhan acted swiftly by crowding the Al Hilal midfielder out.

Two minutes later striker Amara Diane – who looked off colour – missed a great opportunity to score from close range but his chip narrowly missed the target after beating Al Otaibi.

Al Otaibi was in action again a couple of minutes later when he deflected a bullet from Mahmood a few metres from the goal-line.

In the 84th minute, Al Hilal’s Al Dawsari produced a fierce shot from the edge of the box but his shot bounced off the crossbar.

Sepahan 5-1 Al Jazira
Sepahan made it two wins from two games to start their AFC Champions League campaign with a comfortable home win over Al Jazira.

Sepahan forged ahead after just three minutes when Omid Ebrahimi crossed the ball from the right and Jamshidian headed home despite the attention of a couple of the visiting defenders.

Sepahan completely controlled the game from that point on and they scored goal two in the 24th minute when Jamshidian’s strong shot found the back of the net.

Four minutes later Al Jazira could have pulled a goal back only for Sepahan goalkeeper Mehdi Rahmati to stretch himself and claw away Ricardo Olivieira’s shot from a tight angle.

Straight after half time, Sepahan re-established their attacking threat although Rahmati had to make a sharp save to deny a powerful shot from Subait Khater.

Al Jazira did pull a goal back on 53 minutes when former Gamba Oasaka striker Bare met a left-sided cross from Saleh Obaid to keep his side’s hopes alive.

However, Sepahan restored their two-goal cushion within minutes with Jamshidian this time the architect as he teed up Toure to score with a long searching pass.

Sepahan were back in control and had a fourth goal in the 64th minute when the Al Jazira defence could only re-direct a probing Toure pass into the path of Milorad and the Serbian striker swept home with his right foot.

With time ticking down the hosts added a fifth goal when Kazemian ran onto a long pass from Reza Enayati before side-stepping the away goalkeeper and tapping in.

Sepahan 2 – 1 Al Hilal
Sepahan stunned Saudi giants Al Hilal on Tuesday as the Iranians claimed a 2-1 victory in their opening AFC Champions League encounter at King Fahd International Stadium.

After a goalless first half it was the visitors who went ahead when Ibrahima Toure headed home in 51st minute before Sepahan added a second just nine minutes later when Al Hilal keeper Abdullah Alsdairy managed to turn Fabio Januario’s corner into his own net.

It seemed Sepahan were coasting to victory but Christian Wilhelmsson struck in stoppage time to ensure a nervy few minutes for Farhad Kazemi’s side.

The win means Sepahan move top of Group A with three points, two ahead of Al Jazira and Al Gharafa who played out a goalless draw in Abu Dhabi.

Chances were at a premium through much of the early stages of the first half and Wilhelmsson summed up the quality of the few opportunities that were created when his speculative 25th minute effort ballooned off a defender and was comfortably held by keeper Mahdi Rahmati.

The first real opportunity arrived in the 34th minute when a long ball was played into the area and Nawaf Alabid raced between two defenders and rose to meet the cross but could only direct his header at the Sepahan keeper.

But six minutes into the second half it was Sepahan who got their noses in front when a long throw bounced through the area and found Toure unmarked at the far post and the Senegalese striker directed a header against the edge of the woodwork and into the back of the net.

Al Hilal looked to offer a quick response and a fine move by Wilhelmsson deserved more as the Swedish winger danced his way past three defenders before drilling a well-struck effort that was too close to Rahmati.

But instead it was Sepahan who went further ahead just before the hour when a corner by Januario was diverted into his own net by Al Hilal keeper Alsdairy.

That goal pretty much wrapped up the points for the visitors but Al Hilal continued to try and press for a goal as Mohammad Salem Al Qarni just failed to get his foot to a Wilhelmsson cross when well-placed inside the area.

But it was Sepahan who came closest to scoring again 10 minutes before the end when Milorad Janjus swept a low shot from just inside the area that Alsdairy did well to get a hand to and push onto the post.

The visitors took their foot off the pedal after that, seemingly content with their margin of victory.

However, Al Hilal pulled one back through Wilhelmsson from the left of the area with a well-hit effort in stoppage time and though the hosts pressed after that, Sepahan held on for the win.

Al Jazira 0-0 Al Gharafa
Qatar side Al Gharafa and UAE Pro League leaders Al Jazira settled for a point apiece following a goalless draw in their opening 2011 AFC Champions League Group A game at Mohamed Bin Zayed Stadium.

Al Jazira, who are on course for a domestic double including a first-ever league title, enjoyed the better share of exchanges but could not convert their superiority into goals and had to be satisfied with a draw.

In the first period, which was played mostly at a pedestrian pace, it was Al Jazira who saw more of the goalmouth action. With left back Abdulla Mousa given a lot of space on the left flank, most of Jazira’s initial attacks came from there.

In the 14th minute Mousa ran from deep and crossed into the box but the danger was thwarted just before his Brazilian team-mate Bare could reach it.

Four minutes later, Al Jazira’s Argentinian import Matias Delgado saw his shot bounce off a defender only for Mousa to latch on to the loose ball but Qasem Burhan, Al Gharafa custodian and Qatar national team goalkeeper, was quick to save his effort.

Though Al Gharafa looked more powerful on paper, it was not until the 24th minute that they threatened but Al Jazira goalkeeper Ali Kashief saved Iraqi striker Younus Mahmood’s shot.

The Qatari club’s best chance in the first half came when their Cote d’Ivoire star Amara Diane broke the offside trap and, after a slight hesitation, shot but Kashief did well to push the ball for a corner kick.

With Ibrahim Diaky, Subhait Khater and Delgado in the middle and Bare and fellow Brazilian Ricardo De Oliveira up front, Jazira kept pressing but failed to get a clear look at the rival goal.

A little frustrated, Jazira’s Diaky and Juma Abdulla received yellow cards while Gharafa’s Mirghani Al Zain also got his name into the referee’s notebook.

Moroccan Othman Al Assas replaced Al Zain at the start of the second-half to bolster Al Gharafa’s midfield but again it was the host team who made the running. A Delgado through pass found Bare but the Brazilian was foiled before he could convert in the 52nd minute. From the resultant corner kick, Delgado unleashed a firm drive from the top of the box but Burhan was equal to the task.

Then in the 60th minute, interplay between Bare and Delgado ended with the Argentine having a go at goal but Burhan’s outstretched legs saved his team.

Jazira’s pressure almost paid off in the 62nd minute but for a superb goal line clearance by defender Marcone Amaral. Bare sent Oliveira through and the latter moved in, evaded the advancing Burhan and shot into an empty goal but Amaral rushed back swiftly and thwarted danger.

Al Gharafa managed a counter-attack in the 71st minute and Ahmed Fares lobbed the ball into the box, where Mahmoud headed against the right-hand post and Jazira custodian Ali Kashief managed to recover and pick up the loose ball.

With time ticking away, Al Jazira pressed hard and the home crowd thought Diaky had earned a penalty when Burhan charged out to block him but referee Nawaf Shukrullah was close to the action and pointed to a goal kick.

Three minutes from time Al Jazira earned a free-kick but Khater’s well-taken shot was saved by Burhan. Then in the final minute Delgado worked his way into the box but a defender cleared and with that the final whistle came shortly afterwards.

Over the coming weeks and as we approach kick off on March 1, we will be previewing each of the groups to see who are the favourites and how they are likely to fair in this year’s 2011 AFC Asian Champions League competition.

Today we start with Group A which is made up of the following teams:

• AL GHARAFA (QAT)
• AL HILAL (KSA)
• AL JAZIRA (UAE)
• FOOLAD MOBAREKEH SEPAHAN (IRN)

AL GHARAFA (QAT)
We start with Al Gharafa and see what they have been up to in the Qatari league this year and how they went in last year’s competition. Last year after topping their group they progressed to the quarter finals only to marginally lose 5 – 4 on aggregate from Saudi outfit Al Hilal.

Domestically they currently list second with 28 points from 12 games. Based on their domestic performance, Al Gharafa will be a contender this year hoping to do atleast as well as last year. They face the team that knocked them out in the Quarter finals, so revenge will be in the air when they face each other.

AL HILAL (KSA)
Al Hilal made it into the semi finals last year but was knocked out over two rounds by finalist and runner up Zobahan 2 – 0 over two rounds.

Al Hilal are well into their domestic competition having already played 16 games and lead the table by 5 clear points on second. This team will be also hoping for atleast another semi final achievement if not better. In Al Gharafa they face another heavyweight of the region who together could fill spots 1 and 2 to progress beyond the group stages.

AL JAZIRA (UAE)
Also in Group A last year and also facing Al Gharafa again this year, finishing better than last in their group stage would be a step forward for the team. Last year they managed one win and one draw.

Having already played 12 games of the 2011 season, Al Jazira sits top of their domestic league with, clear by 7 points on second. So on form, they look to have the goods this year and should provide a better showing.

Given the strength of this group, I wouldn’t be placing money on them making it past this stage of the competition.

FOOLAD MOBAREKEH SEPAHAN (IRN)
Sepahan is a seasoned contender. In 2010 they finished 3rd in their Group and so didn’t progress beyond the Group stages. Two wins, two draws and two loses is what they had achieved for the season. A mixed result and with potential to do much more this year, however with teams like Al Gharafa and Al Hilal in the same group it will be very hard for them to do better.

Domestically Sepahan is sitting third, 6 point or two wins away from top spot. So a strong 2011 season should put them in good form for the Asian Champions League. They will not be easy beats whatever happens.

A last minute Naser Kamel winner for Al-Gharafa saw the The Cheetahs clinch top spot in Group A. Matchday 6 was a contest about who would win top spot.

Al-Jazira 2–1 Esteghlal

UAE League side Al-Jazira is one of the weakest teams in the ACL based on results over the past 2 seasons. However with few expecting them to do much against group leaders Esteghlal, the stepped up to the mark and broke Esteghlal’s unbeaten record.

The visitors took an expected lead five minutes before half-time. Hossein Kazemi’s mazy run ended with Farhad Majidi coolly placing his finish beyond Ali Khasif. Esteghal looked set ease to victory but Khosro Heydari grabbed a deserved equaliser shortly after half-time before Tariq Ahmed sent the home fans into raptures three minutes late with a wonderful long range strike.

Al Ahli 0–1 Al-Gharafa

Al-Garafa had failed to emerge from the group stages in their last four ACL campaigns and having already sealed their qualification, a last minute Naser Kamel winner has seen them top the group. Garafa will face Pakhtakor in the knockout stage.

Group E

Kawasaki Frontale 3-0 Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma

Kawasaki Frontale have given themselves a great chance of advancing by beating Seongnam 3 – 0 at home. They now travel to Beijing Gouan on the final matchday only one point behind the Chinese Super League team, with the winner progressing alongside Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma.

Frontale were two goals ahead by the 20 minute mark. Hiroyuki Taniguchi opened the scoring after five minutes and Yusuke Tasaka doubled the lead 15 minutes after. It remained 2 – 0 until the 79th minute when Renatinho scored the third.

Melbourne Victory 0-0 Beijing Gouan

Melbourne earned their first draw and fourth point of the group stage. The 1 point however, wasn’t enough to keep them in contention. Beijing missed the chance to go three points clear of Kawasaki and instead face the Japanese in a winner takes all shootout on matchday 6.

Group F

Changchun Yatai 0-1 Kashima Antlers

Kashima scored in the first half through Shinzo Koroki to see off Changchun Yatai on matchday five in the AFC Champions League. Shinzo pounced upon a Samuel Caballero error in the 37th minute to put it past the goalkeeper.

Kashima have an unbeaten record so far in the competition and will be a great match-up in the round of 16 where they will either face Pohang Steelers or Adelaide United.

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 8-0 Persipura Jayapura

Persipura Jayaspura received another hiding in Match Day 5. The Indonesian minnows were hammered 8-0 by K-League outfit, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.

Eninho, Park Won Jae and a Lee Dong Gook penalty put the hosts well in the clear by half time. Eninho and Jung Jin Seo added the fourth and fifth goals just after half-time before 3 goals in the space of 10 minutes made it eight.

Jeonbuk are set to face the winners of Group H in the last 16 should they fail to claim all three points at Kashima on matchday 6. Persipura remain pointless with a goal difference they surely can’t be proud of.

Group A
AFC Asian Champions League Group A was settled today, with Esteghlal securing their qualification with a home win over Al Ahli while a hat-trick from Brazilian Araujo meant that Al Gharafa now also progress.

Esteghlal 2–1 Al Ahli

Esteghlal booked their spot in the round of 16 thanks to a 2-1 victory over Al Ahli of Saudi Arabia at the Azadi Stadium in Tehran.

Mehdi Salehi put the hosts ahead after 25 minutes, shooting past Yasser Al Mosailem in the Al Ahli goal. Brazilian Victor Simoes equalised from the penalty spot ten minutes later before Amirhossein Saghedi headed Esteghlal into the final 16 right on half-time.

Al Gharafa 4-2 Al-Jazira

Former Cruzeiro striker Araujo has been a revelation since joining the Cheetahs in 2007 and he was the hero again this evening, striking a hat-trick to sink UAE League outfit Al-Jazira and sending Al Gharafa into the knockout stages.

The Brazilian headed his first on 11 minutes, leaping to nod home a Juninho cross, and then doubled the lead five minutes before the break. Any hope Al-Jazira had of a comeback were quickly quashed when the Brazilian hitman completed his hat-trick a minute after the break, latching onto a mistake from Jazira goalkeeper Ali Kashief Housani. By the time Otman El Assas made it four shortly after the hour mark, the game was already up. Former Betis striker Rafael Sobis pulled one back for the visitors before Ali Albloushi grabbed a second consolation in the final minute.

Group B
Hassan Amin’s scored the only goal of the game in the 71st minute to give Al Wahda an unexpected win over group leaders Zobahan.

Al Wahda 1-0 Zobahan

Al Wahda hasn’ had a good tournament so far sitting last in Group B. Iran’s Zobahan, meanwhile, have been one of the stand-out performers of this season’s competition, having achieved an unexpected double over Luiz Felipe Scolari’s Bunyodkor.

The hosts made a thrilling start to the game and should have had the game won at half-time. They finally scored in the 71st minute thanks to a fine solo effort from Amin to clinch a bit of pride for the 2007 semi-finalists.

Al-Ittihad 1–1 Bunyodkor

Bunyodkor were hoping for an improved performance this week after 2 straight defeats. Scolari knew defeat would all but eliminate them. The hosts went ahead through a 37th minute penalty, however, Aziz Haydarov’s equaliser just after the hour was enough to clinch a point and save the day. All will now be decided on matchday six when Bunyodkor host Al Wahda and Al-Ittihad travel to Iran to face Zobahan.

With all games in Match Day 4 of the AFC Champions League completed, two more teams have confirming their places in the Round of 16.

Seongnam Ilhwa made it four in a row in Group E to go through while Suwon Bluewings made sure of their advance in Group G.

Group A

Esteghlal, of Iran, drew 1-1 away to Qatar’s Al Gharafa and Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli scored a 2-0 away win over Al Jazira.

Younis Mahmoud gave Gharafa a 1-0 lead before the interval but Mehdi Salehi equalised for the visitors on 58 minutes.

Brazilian striker Victor was the hero for Ahli. He scored a goal in each half with Jazira down to 10 men following the second-half sending off of midfielder Sultan Al Menhali.

Group C

Sepahan have put themselves back into contention for a round of 16 place after their 2-0 home victory over Pakhtakor while Shabab beat Al Ain 3-2 at home.

Ibrahima Toure and Mohsen Bengar scoring within the last 17 minutes to earn victory for Sepahan.

Brazilian midfielder Marcelo Camacho rounded off a stirring comeback by Shabab with his late winner against Al Ain. Flavio gave Shabab the lead after 11 minutes before Jose Sand and an own goal from defender Masead Nada handed the visitors the lead on 60 minutes.

Camacho then set up Flavio for the equaliser before finishing it off himself with seven minutes remaining.

Group E

Korea Republic’s Seongnam have earned a place in the next round after their 1-0 away victory over China’s Beijing Guoan.

Melbourne Victory won for the first time after three straight defeats, beating Japan’s Kawasaki Frontale 1-0 at home.

Mauricio Molina scored with 15 minutes remaining for Seongnam. Whilst in the other game Kevin Muscat scored a penalty to breath some life into Melbourne’s campaign.

Group G

Suwon Bluewings have also progressed into the last 16 with a 2-0 home victory over China’s Henan Jianye.

Gamba Osaka beat Singapore Armed Forces 3-0 at home to boost their chances.

Jose Mota followed up his two goals against Henan from last week with an early strike on Wednesday with Kim Dae-ui adding the second.

Goals from defender Michihiro Yasuda, Shoki Hirai, and substitute Ze Carlos gave Gamba an easy win.

Group A
Esteghlal 3-0 Al Gharafa
Al Ahli 5-1 Al-Jazira

Al Gharafa couldn’t compete with Esteghlal today and went down 3-0 in the Azadi Stadium today. Esteghlal striker Farhad Majidi bagged himself two goals today. Majidi put the hosts ahead after a quarter of an hour before doubling their lead ten minutes after the break. Defender Pejman Montazeri then sealed the victory ten minutes from time.

In Group A’s other fixture, Al-Ahli, who so far have leaked five goals in their first two matches, turned things around against Al Jazira scoring 5 goals and winning 5-1. Ahli took the lead withing 2 minutes of the kick-off through Brazilian striker Victor Simoes and never looked back. Abdulrahim Jezawi scored two goals and the Saudi’s other Brazilian Marcinho also bagged a brace while Ivory Coast striker Toni Nantcho grabbed a consolation for Al-Jazira.

Group B
Zob Ahan 3 – 0 Bunyodkor
Al Wahda 0 – 2 Al Ittihad

Iranian side Zob Ahan stood out after their stunning 3-0 victory over Uzbek glamour side Bunyodkor.  The victory puts them on top of Group B. Two of Zob Ahan’s goals were stand-out with Mohammed Hosseini firing the hosts ahead before Mohammad Ghazi made it 2-0. Mohammad Khalatbari hit the last goal 10 minutes from time.

Former two-time champions and last year’s runners-up Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia picked up their first full points in this year’s competition with a 2-0 defeat of UAE’s Al Wahda.

The Jeddah giants were sitting with a loss and a draw so far in the competition, but goals from Abdulmalik Ziaya and Mohamed Nour helped them to their first win.

Group C
Pakhtakor Tashkent 2–1 Sepahan
Al-Ain 2-1 Al Shabab

An Alexander Geynrikh free kick gave Pakhtakor a deserved win over Iranian champions Sepahan and first place in Group Ch. Artur Geykorian’s low shot put the hosts in front five minutes before the break, only for Ahmad Jamshidian to head in an equaliser in first-half injury time. However, with 20 minutes remaining, Geynrikh swung in a free kick that beat several players before hitting the back of the net. Sepahan have had two draws and a defeat so far, making it difficult for them to progress past this stage.

Al Shabab came into their clash with Al-Ain with a number first team players unavailable and Jaime Pacheco’s side found themselves two down after 25 minutes. Former Flamengo striker Emerson but the hosts on their way 15 minutes in before Argentinian forward Jose Sand doubled their lead ten minutes later. Abdulaziz Bin Saran pulled a goal back for the White Lions but it wasn’t enough to save the 2006 quarter-finalists.

Group D
Al Sadd 4 – 1 Mes Kerman
Al Hilal 1 – 1 Al Ahli

Qatari giants Al Sadd showed Mes Kerman who’s the boss by beating them 4 – 1 whipping at the Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha.

Strikes by in-form Brazilian Leandro, who neutralised Mes’ lead through Edinho, before adding another, this was followed by goals from Felipe Jorge and Talal Al Baloushi.

The contest was well over within the hour and Al Sadd are now a point removed from section leaders Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia to whom they lost in their opening match. Mes are stranded on three points.

The other group game between Al Hilal and Al Ahli ended in 1-1 draw. Al Hilal’s form has been such that they were tipped to destroy the visiting side by a huge margin.  But the Saudi champions from Riyadh wasted many opportunities even as Mohamed Al Mahyani put them ahead only for the lead to be cancelled by Hosni Abd Rabou’s stoppage-time heartbreaker.

Al Ahli goalkeeper Abdulla Yousif stood firm and guarded his net against numerous Al Hilal assaults and saw his heavily favoured rivals find the woodwork twice before half-time.

Group E

Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma 3-1 Beijing Guoan
Kawasaki Frontale 4-0 Melbourne Victory

Korean side Seongnam Ilhwa Chunwa recovered from a goal down at home to Chinese Super League outfit Beijing Guoan to eventually win 3-1 victory in the closing stages of the game. Maurice Ross gave Beijing an early lead but the hosts drew level through Song Ho-Young. Seongnam went ahead just three minutes from time through the Montenegro midfielder, Dzenan Radoncic, before Jo Jae-Chol wrapped up the points in injury time.

Kawasaki Frontale thrashed an uninspiring Melbourne Victory 4 – 0. After losses to Seongnam and Beijing, Kawasaki needed victory at home to the Australians and three goals within 20 minutes all but ended the game in the fist half.

Chong Tese, the North Korea international, struck three minutes in and the lead was doubled by Masaru Kurotsu eight minutes later. The former Santos player Renantinho made it three and game over just after the 20 minute mark.

Then on the 90th minute when captain Hiroyuki Taniguchi hit the fourth.

Group F
Changchun Yatai 1-2 Jeonbuk Motors
Kashima Antlers 5-0 Persipura

Lee Dong-gook broke Chinese hearts in the northern city of Changchun on Wednesday with a late winner that gives the South Korean champions a huge boost in their bid to reach the second round.

The hosts started well and controlled the first half. After 65 minutes substitute Du Zhenyu scored to put the hosts ahead. The game wasn’t over however, with 12 minutes remaining, Choi Yae-wook equalized from close range.  Heading for a draw, Lee bagged a priceless winner after good work from Seo Jung-jin.

As expected, the Japanese champions Kashima Antlers, beat group whipping boys Persipura 5-0 at the Kashima Soccer Stadium.

After last round’s 9-0 thrashing in China, the result is an improvement of sorts for the Indonesians. Two goals from Brazil’s Marquinhos and solitary strikes from Toru Araiba, Mitsuo Ogasawara and Yuya Osaka won the game for the J-League titans.

Group G
Singapore Armed Forces 2-4 Gamba Osaka
Henan Construction 0-2 Suwon Samsung Bluewings

Gamba Osaka were given a stern test against a determined Singapore Armed Forces but managed to win comfortably in the end 4-2. Shoki Hirai gave Osaka the lead within six minutes from the first whistle but Erwan Gunawan got the hosts level just after the half hour. After Hirai re-established a one-goal advantage after half-time, Singapore managed to peg the visitors back again, through the Sweden international Niklas Sandberg. However, Sota Nakazawa made it 3-2 with 19 minutes left on the clock before Hirai completed his treble with seven minutes to play. The result marked Gamba’s first win this year following two draws and they move onto five points. SAFFC stay bottom with just one point.

In the second Group G game, Brazilian Jose Mota scored twice as Suwon Samsung Bluewings overcame China’s Henan. The 30-year-old hit a second half double to put the K-League side back on top of the table. After three matches, Suwon sit on top with a two-point lead. Henan, with two draws and a loss, are only one point off the bottom.

Group H
Pohang Steelers 1-0 Shandong Luneng
Adelaide United 3-2 Sanfrecce Hiroshima

Pohand Steelers squeezed past Shandong with a 1-0 win at the Steelyard. Most of the action came at the beginning and at the end of the match. After just five minutes, Noh Byung-joon smashed a free-kick high into the Chinese net.

Then with five minutes to go, Shandong were awarded a penalty after Kim Jung-kyum brought down Benson in the box. Shin Hwa-yong made a brilliant save to deny Deng Zhouxiang’s penalty and move Pohang clear in second place.

Adelaide United came from behind to defeat Sanfrecce Hiroshima to maintain their three from three perfect record in Group H and keep the Japanese team pointless. Hiroshima bounced back after going down early to a Travis Dodd goal and a red card for defender Ilian Stoyanov to equalize and then take the lead in the second half thanks to Kazuyaki Morisaki and Issei Takayanagi. Adelaide however hit back with two late goals from Robert Cornthwaite and Cassio which won them the game and gave them three points to keep them on top of the group.

Sadd Al Shammari and Brazilian striker Araújo scored inside the final 10 minutes as Qatar’s Al Gharafa rallied to beat Al Ahli of Saudi Arabia 3-2 in the AFC Champions League on Tuesday.

Al Gharafa took the lead after just two minutes at Al Gharafa Stadium through Mohammed Al Zaini only for a deflected shot from Brazilian playmaker Marcinho to pull the visitors level on the stroke of half-time.

Abdulrahim Mustafa handed Sergio Farias’s side the lead just after the hour mark, but after substitute Al Shammari equalised, Araújo struck with nine minutes remaining as Al Gharafa maintained their 100% record in Group A while handing Al Ahli a second consecutive defeat.

Esteghlal and Al Jazira shared a point apiece as both sides hit the woodwork in a goalless draw at Azadi Stadium in Wednesday’s AFC Champions League Group A clash.

Al Jazira’s Khalid Sebil crashed a long-range effort against the bar three minutes before the break and Esteghlal’s Fabio Januario did the same from inside the box in first-half stoppage-time as honours ended even with both sides failing to take their chances.

Al Jazira had the first attempt on target after 11 minutes when Subait Khater’s free-kick from 35 yards was punched away by goalkeeper Mohammad Mohammadi.

Moments later, Esteghlal launched a swift counter-attack as Farhad Majidi ran almost the length of the pitch before finding Januario but the Brazilian’s shot deflected wide.

Esteghlal had a great chance to open the scoring five minutes before the break when Siavash Akbarpour’s chipped ball into the box was chested down by Majidi into the path of Kazemi but the midfielder’s fierce strike from 10 yards was straight at Ali Khaseif.

Chances were scarce in the second period but Januario wasted a good opportunity in the 58th minute when, following a neat one-two, he fired over from 10 yards.