Esteghlal ended their 2011 AFC Champions league campaign with a 2-1 victory over Al Nassr at the Azadi Stadium, but it was not sufficient to seal a place in the last 16 as they lost out to their Saudi opponents on goal difference.

Badar Al Motawa opened the scoring on the hour mark before Farhad Majidi in the 62nd and Hawar Mulla Mohammed in the 89th minutes turned the match around for Esteghlal.

In a first half low on excitement, the visitors created the first chance in the 16th minute from a counter-attack, as Al Motawa fired towards the goal but a quick reaction from keeper Mohammad Mohammadi repelled the striker’s left-footed shot.

Esteghlal came close to taking the lead four minutes later. Majidi met a beautiful curling cross from the left, but a fantastic save by Abdullah Al Enezi kept the Esteghlal forward’s header out.

In the 31st minute Mohammad Ibrahim latched onto the loose ball when two Esteghlal defenders failed to clear a corner, but his shot was blocked.

Defender Amir Hossein Sadeghi’s scissor kick flew past the left post in the 43rd minute before Mojtaba Jabbari’s free-kick rose over the crossbar one minute before the break.

Esteghlal started the second period stronger and could have taken the lead in the 48th minute. Majidi curled in a cross for Hawar, but the Iraq international’s effort, though acrobatic, was unsuccessful.

Two minutes later Hawar’s header was gathered by the keeper before Arash Borhani threatened by firing from outside box but his shot was comfortably collected by Al Enezi.

Abdullah Al Qahtani could have given Al Nassr the lead 13 minutes after the break but first-half substitute fired over the crossbar from inside the area after a speedy counter attack.

It was Al Nassr who opened the scoring two minutes later against the run of play. Al Motawa volleyed beautifully into the corner of the net leaving the Esteghlal keeper with no chance.

The hosts found the equaliser in the 62nd minute as Majidi headed home from Hawar’s right-sided cross.

Mehdi Seyed Salehi could not head in from a corner shortly afterwards and then in the 77th minute he missed another chance when he messed up a scissors kick.

Majidi wasted a golden opportunity in the 82nd minute when he fired into the hands of the goalkeeper when through.

Less than a minute later Majidi fired wide but Esteghlal’s efforts were rewarded just before the final whistle when Hawar cushioned a cross with his chest and netted with a brilliant left-footed strike from inside the box.

Bader Al Motawaa scored twice as Al Nassr thrashed Pakhtakor 4-0 at King Fahd International Stadium and put themselves in pole position to join Al Sadd in the last 16 of the 2011 AFC Champions League from Group B.

The home side took the lead with just seven minutes on the clock when Hamoud met Khaled Asiri’s cross from the left with a superb diving header from six yards out that left keeper Nikita Ribkin no chance.

Stanislav Andreev saw a free-kick dip just over the bar for Pakhtakor before Al Motawaa doubled Al Nassr’s lead. Al Sahlawi outpaced two Pakhtakor defenders to latch onto a long ball over the top before squaring for Al Motawaa to slot home inside the box. Ribkin got a hand to the Kuwait striker’s effort but could not keep it out.

Al Sahlawi then saw a poked effort well blocked by Ribkin after a long ball into the visitors’ box caused panic and Al Motawaa played in Hamoud but the Pakhtakor keeper was equal to his strike.

The Al Nassr forward was not to be denied, though, and he extended his side’s lead on the hour mark following a slick move.

Hamoud played in Asiri down the left and he clipped a cross towards Al Sahlawi who headed home unmarked from the edge of the box.

The game petered out as a contest after that, although Igor Kremets headed Dilshod Sharofetdinov’s free-kick over the bar from close range and Al Nassr keeper Abdullah Al Enezi did excellently to foil Dusan Savic with an outstretched leg.

Al Sadd staged a thrilling comeback on Wednesday as they rallied from 2-0 deficit to hold Esteghlal in a key 2011 AFC Champions League clash.

Al Sadd, leaders of Group B before the start of the match at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, dominated most of the opening half but were behind at the break after visiting skipper Farhad Majidi struck twice.

However, Al Sadd turned it around in the second period with Khalfan Ibrahim and substitute Hasan Haydos both on target.

The draw was enough to keep Al Sadd at the top of the table while Esteghlal are four points behind them with a game to play.

Esteghlal started well and forced a corner in the fourth minute of the match.

Al Sadd’s defence thwarted the danger momentarily but a throw in soon afterwards saw the visitors score the first goal.

A casual throw in made its way into the Al Sadd box where captain Majidi – who was unmarked – headed home helped by a big deflection as the ball looped over goalkeeper Mohammed Saqr.

In the 15th minute, Al Sadd striker Abdul Kader Keita dribbled past two defenders but his shot from close range was smartly held by goalkeeper Mohammad Mohammadi.

Four minutes later, a similar move was blocked by Mohammadi when the Al Sadd striker was set to strike close to the penalty spot.

Four minutes later, powerfully-built Keita bustled his way through the Esteghlal defence but his shot went past the post with goalkeeper Mohammadi well beaten.

Three minutes later, Al Sadd’s Ibrahim launched a solo effort but his fierce shot was blocked by goalkeeper Mohammadi.

In the 26th minute, defender Nadir Belhadj adopted a long-range policy by firing a missile around 30 yards from goal. Belhadj’s shot beat the goalkeeper but also the far post.

After dominating play for the opening 20 minutes, poor defending cost Al Sadd another goal as captain Majdi found the net for the second time in the match.

After collecting the ball inside Al Sadd box, Majidi hoodwinked Al Sadd captain Abdulla Koni and Leandaro before slipping the ball past goalkeeper Saqr who made an awkward dive in his attempt to save.

Nine minutes into the second-half, the home side pulled one goal back.

Former Gamba Osaka striker Leandro chipped in a pass from close to the corner flag and, sensing his chance, the diminutive Ibrahim barged his way into the box, stopped the ball with his left foot and then quickly fired home.

After pounding the Esteghlal defence with a series of attacks, Al Sadd scored their second through substitute Haydos with 15 minutes left.

Ibrahim played a pass across the visitors’ box for Haydos who, after dribbling past one defender, produced a fine left-footed strike that dipped into the net.

Egor Krimets’ header two minutes from time breathed new life into Pakhtakor’s 2011 AFC Champions League campaign with a 2-1 win over Esteghlal at Pakhtakor Stadium.

Arash Borhani had cancelled out Stanislav Andreev’s superb 28th minute opener in first-half stoppage-time but with the Group B game seemingly heading for a draw following a low-key second-half, Hanif Omranzadeh was sent-off for two bookable offences and from the resulting free-kick, Krimets struck to haul Pakhtakor level with the Iranians on four points.

It was a game that Pakhtakor needed to win and they were first to threaten after two minutes when Esteghlal keeper Mohammad Mohammadi had to tip Sherzodbek Karimov’s dipping cross behind.

Pakhtakor’s young keeper was involved in all of the early action and in the 20th minute palmed the ball over the bar after Omranzadeh’s long throw had flicked off a Pakhtakor defender before repeating the trick to deny a header from the following corner.

Pakhtakor then took the lead in the 28th minute in stunning fashion. A cross picked out Andreev unmarked on the edge of the box and although his first-time volley hit Pejman Montazeri, the striker displayed exquisite technique to hook the rebound – again on the volley – over his shoulder and in off the far post with Mohammadi reduced to a mere spectator.

Esteghlal drew level in first-half stoppage time when Hawar Mohammed’s beautiful flick released Javad Shirzadeh down the left and his cross towards the near post was cleverly guided past Ribkin from close range by Borhani.

The second-half had few chances but Ribkin almost gifted Esteghlal a second in the 53rd minute when he needlessly came charging off his line. Borhani easily eluded the Pakhtakor keeper and only a brilliant block by Akbarjon Ismatullaev saved a certain goal.

As the second half drew to a close Omranzadeh was sent-off with two minutes to go and the Esteghlal defence failed to pick up Krimets at the set-piece, allowing the defender to nod home unmarked from inside the six-yard box.

Al Sadd 1-0 Al Nassr
Lee Jung-soo’s second-half header sent Al Sadd to the top of Group B in the 2011 AFC Champions League after they edged out Al Nassr 1-0 at Al Sadd Stadium.

Lee deftly headed Nadir Belhadj’s corner into the back of the net after 60 minutes for his second goal of the tournament as the Qataris moved on to seven points with the victory, three ahead of their Saudi opponents.

Al Nassr threatened first and in the fourth minute, striker Mohammed Al Sahlwai slipped in a pass to team-mate Saad Al Harthi and he burst past a defender and into the box only for Al Sadd keeper Mohamed Saqr to rush out and clear the danger.

Al Nassr midfielder Victor Figueroa’s effort was then dealt with by Saqr and Al Harthi was off target from long range.

Belhadj’s powerful strike from the edge of the Al Nassr box called goalkeeper Abdullah Al Enezi into action after 16 minutes before Mohammed Kasola sent a header narrowly wide 10 minutes later.

With less than 10 minutes to go in the first period, Al Sadd’s Abdulkader Keita elbowed Al Nassr captain Ibrahim Omar and earned a yellow card from the referee before Al Nassr’s Ahmed Aldosari was also booked for a poor tackle on Yusef Ahmed two minutes later.

The game became even more fractious after the break and Al Nassr’s Mohammed Eid was sent off after bringing down Al Sadd striker Ahmed near the edge of the box with a tough challenge.

In the 56th minute, tempers frayed again as Al Sadd’s Wisam Rizq was booked for a bad tackle on Al Nassr’s Bader Al Motawaa near the halfway-line.

Al Sadd finally took the lead on the hour mark. The tireless Belhadj curled in a superb corner kick that defender Lee glanced into the back of the net in similar fashion to the goal the Korean international scored against Paktakhor two weeks ago.

Kasola then saw a long-range shot that swerved in the air parried away by Al Nassr goalkeeper Al Enezi as Al Sadd held on to take the three points and the upper hand in Group B although their success was sullied somewhat when Belhadj was dismissed after the Algerian winger picked up his second yellow card in stoppage-time having previously been cautioned in the 76th minute.

Esteghlal 4-2 Pakhtakor

Esteghlal recovered from the setback of conceding an early goal to collect their first win of the 2011 AFC Champions League with a 4-2 triumph over Pakhtakor at the Azadi Stadium and move level on points with Al Nassr in second place in Group B.

Dusan Savic had given Pakhtakor the lead after just three minutes but the home side fought back and soon levelled through Hawar Mohammed’s deflected free-kick before Farhad Majidi’s second goal of the tournament gave Esteghlal a half-time lead.

Substitute Mehdi Seyed Salehi’s header early in the second period extended the lead and Esteghlal appeared to be cruising to three points before another replacement, Sanat Shikov, set-up a nervy finish with a late goal for Pakhtakor.

However, Arash Borhani finished off a powerful run with a clinical finish in stoppage time to make the points safe.

Both sides began the encounter locked together at the bottom of the table with just one point from their opening two games but it was Pakhtakor who made a dream start when Savic collected Stanislav Andreev’s pass on the left flank, cut inside and fired a shot from 25 yards that took a healthy deflection off an Esteghlal defender and beat keeper Mohammad Mohammadi.

Opposite number Temur Juraev held Kianoush Rahmati’s shot before Esteghlal levelled in the 11th minute when Mohammed’s free-kick – awarded after Juraev had picked up a backpass – flicked off Khaki Makharadze’s head in the wall and over the Pakhtakor keeper.

They took the lead 11 minutes later thanks to an error from Juraev. Iman Mobali’s long ball from the right bounced beyond Igor Krimets and the defender and goalkeeper hesitated before the latter rushed out but missed the ball, giving Majidi the simple task of rolling it into the empty net.

Vladimir Kozak managed to find space in the Esteghlal box just before the half-hour mark but Mohammadi did well to block his effort before Majidi picked out Mohammed but his chip drifted just over the bar.

Esteghlal went further in front after 57 minutes when Salehi powered a header from Javad Shirzadeh’s pinpoint cross past Juraev from six yards.

Mohammed then lashed a volley wide when unmarked in the box and Mohammadi had be alert to get down low at his near post to push Kozak’s low shot around the post.

With time running out, Esteghlal wasted two good chances to wrap up the points. First, the Pakhtakor defence opened up to allow Borhani a good sight of goal but he shot wide before the striker’s cut back picked out Salehi in space but he side-footed badly over from eight yards.

Pakhtakor reduced the arrears in the 90th minute when Shikov beautifully took down a long ball over the top before drilling a left-foot finish across Mohammadi and into the bottom corner.

It could have set up a nervous finish with four minutes of stoppage time still to play but Borhani put the result beyond doubt when he took advantage of a slip by a Pakhtakor defender to drive into the box before lifting a finish over Juraev.

Al Nassr 2-1 Esteghlal
Al Nassr scored two goals in the 2nd half to claim victory against Esteghlal 2-1.

A first-half that saw Mehdi Seyed Salehi head Javad Shirzadeh’s cross against the far post for Esteghlal and John McKain and Victor Figueroa go close for Al Nassr came to a finish with the visitors one goal to the good.

Omranzadeh took advantage of Omar Howsawi’s slack marking at a corner to lose the defender and rise above keeper Abdullah Al Enezi to head home the opening goal from Hawar Taher’s 21st minute delivery.

Some slick one-touch football eight minutes into the second-half between Ibrahim Ghaleb, Khaled Asiri, Bader Al Motwa’a and Saud Hamod saw the latter nick a cute lofted ball over the Esteghlal defence past the onrushing keeper Vahid Talebloo but he was unable to direct it goalwards.

Six minutes later, however, the hosts were level when Sulamani strode forward with the ball and skipped a sliding challenge from Mehdei Amirabadi before unleashing a dipping shot from 25-yards that left Talebloo with no chance.

Abdulrahman Al Qahtani fired a low strike from the edge of the box that just whistled past the post in what turned out to be a fairly uneventful second period until Al Nassr conjured up the winning goal with 10 minutes to go.

The ever-willing Al Motwa’a was brought down on the edge of the box and from the resultant free-kick, Al Haarthi took a couple of steps before lifting the ball up and over the wall and beyond Talebloo’s despairing dive.

Al Enezi then had to push Ibrahim Najed’s free-kick from the right corner of the box over the bar before Omranzadeh’s stoppage-time header went straight into the Al Nassr keeper’s hands as the defender spurned a good chance to snatch a late point for the Iranians.

The result sees Al Nassr now top Group B with four points ahead of Pakhtakor and Al Sadd, who play on Wednesday in Doha.

Al Sadd 2-1 Pakhtakor
Substitute Ali Arif’s second-half header saw Al Sadd edge out Pakhtakor 2-1 in Group B of the 2011 AFC Champions League at Al Sadd Stadium.

Wednesday’s key clash, played in chilly conditions enveloping the Qatari capital, witnessed slick moves from both sides in the opening exchanges but none of them threatened either goalkeeper.

In the 20th minute, Al Sadd striker Keita fed Leandro (Leandro Montera Da Silva) but he failed to find the back of the net from close range.

Playing on home soil for the first time in the 2011 AFC Champions League, defenders Nadir Belhadj and Mesaad Ali combined well to keep Pakhatkor striker Abdulkholiqov from penetrating the Al Sadd backline.

Under pressure from three defenders, Keita chipped the ball from the edge of the box that floated over the head of Paktakor goalkeeper Temur Jurev but also the bar.

Seven minutes later, in-form Keita found unmarked Hassan Al Haydos inside the Pakhatkor box and the diminutive striker fired a volley that was blocked by goalkeeper Juraev.

With eight minutes to go before half time, Paktakor defender Kozak Vladimir unleashed an effort from distance that flew inches above the Al Sadd crossbar.

Al Sadd thought they had broken the deadlock when Keita slipped a pass to team-mate Leandro, and he calmly beat goalkeeper Juraev but the linesman quickly waved the flag for offside, much to the dismay of the local fans.

Just before half time, a Belhadj’s cross was met by Korea Republic international Lee and he volleyed home from near the penalty spot to put the hosts in front.

The Uzbeks threatened nine minutes after the restart when Karimov Sherzodbek curled one from about 30 yards but his shot was turned away by Al Sadd goalkeeper Mohammed Saqr.

However, Pakhtakor conjured an equaliser in the 56th minute when Sherzodbek crossed towards Abdulkholiqov and he produced a diving header that beat Saqr.

But an Al Sadd double substitution was to prove decisive and Afif headed home from close range to restore Al Sadd’s advantage before Pakhtakor’s misery was further compounded with Tadjiev’s sending off.

Al Nassr (2-2) Pakhtakor
Al Nassr twice came from behind to earn their first point of the AFC Champions League with a 2-2 draw with Pakhtakor.

Sherzod Karimov opened the scoring for the hosts seconds before the break but Bader Al Motawaa equalised five minutes into the second half.

Dilshod Sharofetdinov put Pakhtakor ahead once again on the hour but Bojan Miladinovic ensured Al Nassr would leave Uzbekistan with their first point in Group B when he put the ball into his own net when attempting to cut out Mohammad Al Sahlawi’s cross.

Al Nassr were barely getting a look in and it was no surprise that the next chance went the way of Pakhtakor midway through the half when Miladinovic managed to turn inside a crowded area and let fly with a shot that Al Anzi did well to punch away for a corner.

Pakhtakor deservedly took the lead on the stroke of half time when Karimov was picked out down the right and the midfielder cut inside a defender before curling an effort from just outside the area over a stranded Al Anzi, who had left his line in anticipation of collecting a cross.

Amazingly, though, Al Nassr were level barely five minutes into the second half with their first shot of the half.

Victor Figueroa was left alone on the right and the Argentinean midfielder made his way into the area before getting the better of a defender and then showing great awareness to pass to the feet of Al Motawaa, who made no mistake from close range.

Al Nassr restored their advantage on the hour when Karimov delivered a deep free-kick into the area that Kakhi Makharadze cleverly headed back across the face of goal for Sharofetdinov to nod in.

Al Nassr introduced Al Sahlawi who came close when he raced onto Abbas’ smart chest down on the edge of the area before sidefooting a shot under the dive of the keeper, only to see the ball agonisingly bounce back off the base of the upright.

But Al Sahlawi was to play a major part as the visitors salvaged a point with a minute remaining as the Saudi Arabia international’s low cross was diverted into his own net by Miladinovic with Saad Al Harthi in close attention.

Esteghlal (1 – 1) Al Sadd
A late goal from Abdul Kaider Keta ensured a 1 – 1 draw between Esteghlal and Al Sadd at Azadi Sports Complex on Tuesday.

Esteghlal were the better side in the opening exchanges and their first chance arrived in the sixth minute when the lively Iman Mobali drove a curling free-kick into the penalty area and all it needed was the slightest of touches but keeper Saad Al Sheed showed great reactions to deny Hanif Omranzadeh.

The hosts took the lead early in the first half when Mobali crossed into the area and after Al Sadd failed to clear the danger the ball eventually fell to skipper Majidi, who delivered a well-struck effort into the corner of the net.

Esteghlal thought they had a second three minutes before the break when Mehdei Amirabadi fired a long-range strike that forced Al Sheeb into a save. Majidi pounced on the loose ball and lashed home but the goal was ruled out for offside.

Al Sadd came out strong in the second half with Keita sending a free-kick over the bar while Leonadro went even closer when he directed a dangerous header goalwards but Taleboo did well to clear the danger.

Goalscoring chances dried up after that but when one of note did arrive it produced the equaliser when Leonardo found himself inside the area and his ball deflected off Pejman Montazeri straight to Keita, who nodded home from close range to earn a point for the visitors.

Today we move on to Group B of the AFC Asian Champions League 2011.

Group B is made up of the following teams:

• AL NASSR (KSA)
• ESTEGHLAL (IRN)
• PAKHTAKOR (UZB)
• WINNER OF PLAY-OFF (WEST)

Al Nassr
Currently sitting in 4th position domestically (mid way through the 2010/11 season), Al Nassr will make it’s first appearance at the AFC Champions League. Certainly not a favourite to make it’s way through Group B when you consider that they are competing with the likes of Esteghlal and Pakhtakor, two established teams in the competition.

Esteghlal
Esteghlal comfortably cleared Group A in the 2010 AFC season but lost 3:2 to AL SHABAB (KSA). This year they are hoping for atleast the same in terms of clearing the Group stage. Domestically they are sitting 2nd after 23 rounds only 2 points away from first position. Esteghlal should comfortably make it into the round of 16. The challenge will be can they go one further.

Pakhtakor
Seems Pakhtakor is still in holiday mode come the start of the AFC champions league with their league finishing at the end of October 2010. In 2010, Pakhtakor made it to the round of 16 only to be knocked out by Al Gharafa 1 – 0. Fighting over Group C last year, the only just made it past Iran’s Sepahan to advance. This year looks like they will have an easier time of it.

Denilson made all the difference for Luiz Felipe Scolari’s Bunyodkor, ensuring his side made it into the knockout stages.

The Uzbek champions need to win and hope that Zob Ahan also won in order to progress. It turned out that way and now they will meet Saudi champs Al-Hilal. Zob Ahan’s win sees them qualify as group winners to set-up an all Iranian clash with Mes Kerman.

Bunyodkor 4-1 Al-Wehda

Rivaldo opened the scoring 28 minutes in, as Wehda left him un-marked inside the box to head home Djeparov’s cross. Denilson doubled their lead three minutes later when Wehda keeper, Mohammed Al Hosani completely missed his kick, leaving Denilson to simply pass the ball into an empty net. At the 60 minute mark, Denilson made it three when he smashed home Jasur Hasanov’s pull-back before Another Hasanov unleashed a 35-yard rocket to make it four. Talal Abdulla scored a consolation for Al Wehda through a penalty in stoppage time.

Zob Ahan 1–0 Al-Ittihad

Zob Ahan coach Mansor Ebrahimzadeh revealed that his side was up for today’s game “it’s a big deal for us to be the hosts in the next game,”.

Zob have won all of their home games so far and a 57th minute strike from Iran’s Mohammad Reza Khalatbari won the game and secured top spot.

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.

Match Day 4 Tuesday of the AFC Champions League 2010 resulted in some upsets and wake up calls for many teams that had a easy road so far.

Group B

Zob Ahan have managed 2 major upsets in a matter of weeks against the Uzbek aristocrats Bunyodkor on Tuesday.

They followed up their MD3 3-0 home victory with a 1-0 win that takes them to the top of the table with 10 points and sends Bunyodkor tumbling down to third, with six points.

Al Ittihad, of Saudi Arabia, move to second on seven points after their 4-0 victory over bottom side Al Wahda, of UAE.

Mohammad Khalatbari took advantage of a goalkeeping error to score Zob Ahan’s winner in the first half as Bunyodkor finished the match with 10 men after their Brazilian star Rivaldo was sent off for a high challenge.

Two-time champions Al Ittihad were in fine form at home with Saud Kariri scoring twice and Abdelmalik Ziaya and Sultan Al Numare also finding the net.

Group D

Mes Kerman crushed the hopes of Al Sadd by sealing their last 16 place on MD4. Mes avenged their defeat from last week by winning 3-1.

After Khalfan Ibrahim gave Al Sadd the lead after seven minutes, Mes came storming back with goals from Brazilian Edinho, Ali Samareh and Paulo Zaltron.

Korean international Lee Young-pyo was Hilal’s hero as he scored the winner in injury time in Dubai. Yasser Al Qahtani and Christian Wilhelmsson had earlier given Hilal a 2-0 lead after only 16 minutes before the home side fought back through Ahmed Khalil and Cesar to make it 2-2.

Group F

Kashima Antlers have qualified for the round of 16 after beating Indonesia’s Persipura Jayapura 3-1.

Jeonbuk, are also mathematically guaranteed a place in the next round.

All goals in the Kashima-Persipura match came in the first half. Yasushi Endo gave Kashima the lead against a side who had conceded 14 in their previous two matches.

Yustina Pae equalised for Persipura for their second goal of the competition before Shinzo Korogi and Atsuto Uchida made it safe for the Antlers.

Korean national striker Lee Dong-gook scored a fine free-kick in the second half to give Jeonbuk their second straight victory over Changchun, in Jeonju.

Group H

Sanfrecce Hiroshima, upset group leaders Adelaide United’s 1-0 at the Big Arch. The first win  came courtesy of Hisato Sato’s goal at the stroke of half-time.

Adelaide now share first position with defending champions Pohang Steelers, who beat China’s Shandong Luneng 2-1 away.

Sanfrecce and Shandong have three points each.

Pohang needed a late goal from Kim Tae-su to beat Shandong. The visitors had taken the lead six minutes into the second half through Kim Jae-sung but substitute Li Jinyu equalised in the 73rd minute before Tae-su hit the winner five minutes from time.

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.

Brazilian striker Denilson scored twice as Bunyodkor recorded a 2-1 win over Al Wahda of the UAE in the AFC Champions League on Wednesday as Luis Felipe Scolari’s Uzbekistan champions maintained their 100% record in Group B.

Denilson, who won the AFC Champions League with Korea Republic’s Pohang Steelers last year, struck in either half to seal the win as last year’s quarter-finalists built on their opening round vicotry over Saudi Arabia’s Al Ittihad.

Nine minutes before the break Al Hosani was at fault for Bunyodkor’s opener as the Al Wahda goalkeeper charged out of his goal in an attempt to collect Victor Karpenko’c cross, but was beaten to the delivery by Denilson as the Brazilian rose on the penalty spot to head into the unguarded net.

With five minutes remaining Al Hosani failed to hold Jasur Hasanov’s stinging drive and Denilson nipped in to fire into the empty net from close range.

Substitute Al Kathiri capitalised on poor marking to slot home from close range to reduce the deficit with a minute remaining and Al Wahda almost snatched a point in stoppage time but Nesterov again saved the visitors by denying Baiano

Bunyodkor have won comfortably with goals from Rivaldo, Jasur Hasanov and Denilson making it 3-0 win over last year’s finalists Al Ittihad.

The Tashkent giants’ heavy investment over the close season paid off as they completely outclassed a poor Al Ittihad side in the Group B clash at JAR Stadium.

Rivaldo scored early with only 4 mins on the clock following a surging run from Denilson.

They then doubled their lead in the 20th minute due to some poor defending when goalkeeper Tisir Al Antiaf’s mis-punched with the ball landing at Hasanov’s feet on the far side of the box.

His mis-hit shot bounced over a prone Denilson and evaded Osama Al Harbi on the line and dribbled into the net.

Bunyodkor netted a third in the 66th minute and again slack marking was to blame.

The visitors were awarded a penalty for a foul on Sultan Al Numare in stoppage-time but Mohammed Noor saw his effort come back off the inside of the post having sent the goalkeeper the wrong way.

In the group’s other game, Igor Castro’s second-half header secured a 1-0 win for Zob Ahan over Al Wahda at Foolad Shahr Stadium.

In a game of few chances, the Brazilian broke the deadlock on the hour mark with a fine header to ensure the Iranians got off to a winning start.

Today lets also take a look a Group B. This looks like the toughest of the West Asia groups, with the likes of Al Ittihad and Bunyodkor.

• Zob Ahan (IRN) – The chances are that this group is too hard for them to survive and this season is one too soon for Zob Ahan.
• Al Ittihad (KSA) – Ittihad is one of the best teams in Saudi Arabia and one of the best teams in Asia. They have a good chance of progressing to the knock-out rounds.
• Bunyodkor (UZB) – Have had 2 champions league appearances, making the 2008 semi-final and the 2009 quarter-finals. Led this year by the infamous Brazilian duo in Scolari and Rivaldo, they are sure to do well.
• AL Wahda (UAE) – have had 4 ACL appearances, the last in 2008. The furthest they have progressed is the semi finals of 2008. They are also a contender to progress into the knockout stages.

Several commentators have labeled Group B as teh group of death and I have to also agree with 3 very strong sides fighting it out for 2 spots over 6 rounds.

BUNYODKOR (UZB) vs AL ITTIHAD (KSA) - Playing at home, Bunyodkor is the favourite and their recent form will assist them. I am expecting both teams to score and the restult to end up 2 – 1 in Bunyodkor’s favour.
ZOBAHAN (IRN) vs AL WAHDA (UAE) – Zob Ahan will win comfortably at home in their opening game. I am predicting 2 or 3 goals in their favour. Al Wahda will need the opening rounds in order to develop some much needed confidence for teh 2nd half of the opening rounds.

Al Shabab defeated Al Gharafa 1-0 in Riyadh.

The hosts left it as late as could be as a stoppage-time penalty from Nasser Al Shamrani won the game.

The Qatari team played for much of the game with ten men as Ahmed Fares was sent off in the first half.

With time running out for Al Shabab, Fisal bin Sultan was brought down by Saad Al Shammri and Nasser Al Shamrani made no mistake from the spot.

Persepolis also booked their place in round 2.

The Iranian champions saw their game against Sharjah cancelled as the UAE team withdrew from the competition.

Al Gharafa’s loss means Persepolis progress.

Source: www.the-afc.com

The United Arab Emirates club were cut apart by the Saudi side in the Group B encounter with Nassir Al Shamrani netting a hat-trick and Abdulaziz Saran adding two more goals as Al Shabab closed in on a spot in the knockout stage of the AFC Champions League.

Sharjah remain in last place without a single point thus far but Oliveira was not too disappointed with the team’s latest setback.

“The result of the game doesn’t reflect the performance,” he said.

“We have met a strong team and they have good players but I’m really satisfied with the performance of my players in the game.

“The first half was good from our side and we made some good moves but we conceded easy goals in the first half from bad mistakes which we have could have avoided

“We tried to get a good result but Al Shabab are better than us and they scored five goals to win the game.”

With the win, Al Shabab moved to the top of Group B with 10 points, three clear of second-placed Piroozi with two games remaining.

“The game was hard but we had a good performance in the first half,” Al Shabab coach Enzo Trossero said.

“Sharjah played well but after the penalty that we converted, the game was clearly in our favour.

“I’m happy because the score was big and there were no problems or injuries for our side.

Source: www.the-afc.com

Al Gharafa coach Marcos Paqueta could barely contain his delight after watching his side annihilate Piroozi 5-1 at Al Gharafa Stadium.

Araujo proved the hero with a hat-trick as the recently-crowned Qatar league champions hauled themselves firmly back into contention in Group B for a place in the knockout stage.

It was also sweet revenge for Paqueta after the 3-1 defeat against the same side at the Azadi Stadium last month.

“It is a memorable day for Al Gharafa,” he said.

“We played a great match against a very good side. We wanted a positive result from this match but this is even better. I think we finally got the balance right in our team. I congratulate the team on this great performance.

“We are trying to improve in every match. That is because my players are motivated to do well (after winning the Qatar League).”

Paqueta also revealed he had told his players to focus on the task in hand and they responded in fine style.

“We had a couple of injuries but we started with our best 11. I had told my players to stop celebrating (the victory in the Qatar Stars League) as we have important matches coming up,” he added.

“We are playing the AFC Champions League so this is a very important tournament for us. This is Asia’s best football tournament.”

Piroozi coach Nelo Vingada, meanwhile, had no complaints about the result, admitting his team had been outclassed.

“Al Gharafa played really well,” he said.

“They showed why they are the champions. We beat them 3-1 at the Azadi Stadium so we came here looking for three points. We couldn’t do it, we remember how they fought till the last minute in the first match.”

The result means Al Shabab and Piroozi are level at the top of Group B on seven points apiece but with Al Gharafa now just one behind, the race for the two places in the knockout phase is wide open.

Vingada, though, was only looking as far as their next encounter against Al Shabab.

We are only taking one match at a time. There are many important matches left so we can’t start thinking about matches that will be played later.