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)

Lekhwiya 1-2 Al Nasr

Al Nasr of the United Arab Emirates scored twice in three minutes early in the second half as they came from behind to beat Qatar Stars League champions Lekhwiya 2-1 on Wednesday in the final AFC Champions League match for both teams this year.

Lassina Diaby gave the home side the lead at the Al Sadd Stadium with a cool finish just before half-time.

But the visitors struck back shortly after the break as Amara Diane and Humaid Abbas both beat goalkeeper Amine Lecomte from distance to give Al Nasr their first ever away win in the competition.

The result had little real impact on the group standings as both team had already missed out on the knockout stage with Sepahan of Iran and Al Ahli of Saudi Arabia progressing to the knockout rounds.

Lekhwiya nearly made a sensational start as Ali Afif swung in a free-kick from the right flank that flew over the head of Ahmad Shambih and crashed against the crossbar.

The home side had the better of the chances in the first half although Lecomte had to make a good save to keep out a low shot from  Leo Lima (Leonardo Lima da Silva) just after the half-hour mark.

The deadlock was broken in the 38th minute after a neatly-crafted goal by the hosts. After an exchange of passes by the Lekhwiya players in their own half, Bakari Kone surged into the Al Nasr half before he played an incisive through ball to an unmarked Diaby, who slotted the ball past an advancing Shambih.

Their lead lasted until the 55th minute when Diane equalised with a stunner. A long goal-kick by Shambih was headed clear by a Lekhwiya defender but Diane picked up the ball in midfield and advanced back towards the Lekhwiya box before he unleashed a fierce shot from 25 metres that flew past a flat-footed Lecomte for his fifth goal of the campaign.

Abbas then fired Al Nasr ahead shortly afterwards with an effort from similar range that flew past Lecomte into the top corner of the net.

Lekhwiya were unable to muster a response and the closest that they came to an equaliser was an 89th minute header by Moumouni Dagano that flew just wide.

Sepahan 2-1 Al Ahli

Esfahan: Defender Mohsen Bengar headed in the winner four minutes from time as Sepahan of Iran leapfrogged Al Ahli to the top of Group C with a 2-1 win over the Saudi club on Wednesday.

Needing a victory to secure top spot in the group, the recently-crowned three-time Iranian league champions dominated the match at Foolad Shahr Stadium and took a deserved the lead through Xhevahir Sukaj in the 19th minute.

But Amad Al Hosni levelled the score for Al Ahli in the 62nd minute and the Jeddah club appeared to have done enough to win the match until Bengar, who had been pushed forward into attack in the closing minutes, rose above the Al Ahli defence to head in the decisive goal in the 86th minute.

Sepahan coach Zlatko Kranjcar felt that his side deserved the win.

With the win, Sepahan sealed first place in their group and a home match in the Round of 16 against either Iranian league rivals Esteghlal or Qatar’s Al Rayyan next Tuesday.

Al Ahli will travel to Abu Dhabi to meet Group A winners Al Jazira in another last 16 tie.

The hosts had the better of the opening exchanges and they nearly took the lead in the 18th minute when a close range attempt by Sukaj was stopped by the legs of goalkeeper Yaser Al Mosailem.

But the Albanian striker would put his side ahead just a minute later. He beat the offside trap to reach a long pass by skipper Moharram Navidkia and brought the ball down before firing in a low shot from the edge of the box. Al Mosailem got a hand to the ball but could not keep it out of his own net.

The hosts could have extended their advantage before half-time as Sukaj had his 28th minute effort ruled out for offside before Bruno Cesar Correa fired straight at Al Mosailem in stoppage time following a defensive lapse by the visitors.

Sepahan goalkeeper Rahman Ahmadi kept out Al Hosni’s header in the 57thminute but he could do little to stop the Omani forward five minutes later when he raced on to a long pass by Motaz Al Musa and fired a powerful shot into the top right corner of the net.

Substitute Mehdi Seyed Salehi had two chances to restore Sepahan’s lead as he headed wide and then failed to make the most of a close-range opportunity after a neat pass by Mehdi Karimian.

However, the winner would arrive four minutes from time as Mahdi Jafarpour sent in a cross from the right which was headed by Mohsen Bengar past the helpless Al Mosailem

Al Ahli coach Karel Jarolim paid tribute to the winning side but was critical of his own side’s performance.

Al Nasr 0-3 Foolad Sepahan
Sepahan have almost booked their place in the second round of the AFC Champions League with a dominating 3 – 0 win over Al Nasr.

After a cagey opening, Sepahan had the first real opportunity in the 15th minute when Jalal Hosseini struck the base of the right post with a shot on the turn following a corner.

Mark Bresciano had an opportunity to put the homeside ahead when he was found unmarked in the box but great keeping from Rahman Ahmadi quickly to closed the opportunity.

With a minute to play in the opening half Correa struck for the vistors. Mehdi Karimian played a delightful flick over the Al Nasr defence to the Brazilian, who lobbed the ball past an advancing Moosa to make it 1-0.

The match was marred by controversy in the 50th minute when Al Nasr put the ball out of play in order for Helal Saeed to receive treatment. Sepahan attempted to give the ball back to the home side from the resulting throw-in but Sukaj took possession and tried to score and was fouled by Moosa.

The visitors were awarded a penalty and Moosa was sent off but Omid Ebrahimi passed up the opportunity to add to Al Nasr’s misery and sportingly rolled the ball gently to substitute goalkeeper Abdulla Abdulghafoor.

Al Nasr then had a penalty themselves in the 54th minute when Amara Diane was brought down by Rahman Ahmadi in the Sepahan box. The Ivorian took the spot kick himself but was denied by Ahmadi on both his initial kick and the follow-up.

The missed penalty deflated the hosts and their misery was compounded in the 69th minute when Sukaj latched on to a great through ball by Fabio Januario and fired a clinical left-footed shot past Abdulghafoor.

Salehi sealed the win with 13 minutes left when he rose above the Al Nasr defence to head powerfully past Abdulghafoor.

Al Ahli 3-0 Lekhwiya
Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli moved back to the top of Group C and booked their place in the last 16 of the AFC Champions League with a 3-0 victory over Qatari champions Lekhwiya on Tuesday.

Abdulraheem Jezawi fired the hosts ahead at the Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium after only eight minutes and Victor Simoes and Taisir Al Jassim added goals after the break as the Jeddah club secured their progression into the knockout stage for the first time since 2005.

The result also confirmed Sepahan’s place in the round of 16 as Lekhwiya remained four points behind the Iranian champions with only one game left.

Al Ahli were looking to regain top spot from Sepahan after the Iranian side had earlier beaten Al Nasr of the United Arab Emirates 3-0 to briefly retake first place.

And they made the best possible start in the eighth minute as Yasir Al Fahmi threaded a pass through to Jezawi who fired a powerful low shot that went under the body of goalkeeper Baba Malick.

The home side dominated the game and made it 2-0 in the 61st minute. Jezawi was the provider for the goal with a neat pass that Simoes latched on to before unleashing a powerful left-footed shot past Malick.

Lekhwiya thought that they had pulled a goal back with 14 minutes left when Moumouni Dagano scored with a close-range shot only for the goal to be disallowed for offside.

And the visitors’ misery was compounded in stoppage time when a series of quick passes in the Al Ahli midfield released Al Jassim who fired a powerful shot into the roof of the net with the help of the crossbar.

Said Al Ahli coach Karel Jarolim: “Lekwiya are a good team and they have good quick players, but we eventually won the match. We went into the game today with this target because we were looking to this important game to give us a good advantage to qualify from the group.

Lekhwiya assistant coach Jean Lang felt that the early Al Ahli goal was crucial.

Lekhwiya 1-0 Sepahan

Lekhwiya have made up for the loss they had at the hands of Sepahan in the AFC Champions League two weeks with a lone goal by Bakari Kone in stoppage time to give the Qatar Stars League champions a 1-0 win.

The loss was Sepahan’s first the this year’s Asian Champions League tournament. A win would have secured them passage into the last 16. However, following the loss they remain one point ahead of Lekhwiya in the group with seven points.

There were few efforts to comment on in the first half. The best opportunity fell to Lekhwiya’s Korean midfielder Nam Tae-hee, who sidestepped a challenge by Omid Ebrahimi just outside the Sepahan box before he launched a powerful shot, punched clear by the Sepahan keeper Rahman Ahmadi.

Algeria international defender Madjid Bougherra went close to unlocking the Sepahan defence midway through the second half with a marauding run that took him past six defenders before a last-ditch tackle saw the ball ricochet off him and into the grateful arms of Ahmadi.

Sepahan’s best opportunity of the second half fell to Correa with five minutes left when the Brazilian was found in space on the left of the Lekhwiya box. However, he failed to add to his tally of three goals as goalkeeper Baba Malick came quickly off his line to snuff out the danger.

The match looked destined for a stalemate before Kone struck as the match entered extra time. The Ivorian played a neat one-two with Razak on the edge of the box before he thumped an unstoppable right-footed effort past Ahmadi.

Lekhwiya could even have made it two right at the end as Kone laid on a pass for an unmarked Razak, whose loose shot flew over the crossbar.

Despite seeing his side overtaken in the group by Al Ahli, who moved into first place on goal difference after their 3-1 win over Al Nasr, Sepahan coach Zlatko Kranjcar remained confident of their chances of advancing to the last 16.

Al Ahli 3-1 Al Nasr

Al Ahli moved to the top of Group C on goal difference after they came from a goal down to beat Al Nasr 3-1

Al Ahli also beat Al Nasr 2-1 in Dubai a fortnight ago and they began the match strongly in front of their home fans with Brazilian midfielder Marcelo Camacho going close in the 17th minute with a shot from just outside the box which was stopped by Al Nasr goalkeeper Abdulla Moosa.

The stalemate was broken by Al Nasr just after the half-hour mark. A free-kick taken by Mohamed Ali from 35 metres out picked out Diane and the Cote d’Ivoire forward headed past Al Ahli goalkeeper Abdullah Al Muaiouf for his fourth goal of the tournament.

Al Alhi thought they had made in 1 – 1 6 minutes later when when Simoes headed in a cross by Camacho only for it to be ruled offside.

They continued to push for the equaliser after the interval and their pressure finally told in the 55th minute when Jezawi’s powerful low shot from 20 metres found its way through a crowd of players and went into the Al Nasr net despite Moosa getting a hand to the ball.

The hosts scored again after the 66th minute as Camacho’s delightful cross from the left found an unmarked Simoes who rose high to meet the ball with a powerful header that gave Moosa no chance.

The result was put beyond doubt seven minutes later when Camacho’s free-kick from the right was turned in by Al Mousa.

Al Ahli coach Karel Jarolim was frustrated by his side’s wasteful finishing in the first half but felt much better after he had seen them take their chances after the interval.

Sepahan 2-1 Lekhwiya

Brazilian striker Bruno Correa scored with a minute remaining as Iran’s secured a dramatic 2-1 win over recently-crowned Qatar champions Lekhwiya in the AFC Champions League on Tuesday to maintain an unbeaten record in Group C.

With just 10 minutes on the clock at Foolad Shahr, Jafari was the architect of Sepahan’s opener as his cross was missed by Mehdi Karimian, but fell kindly for Hosseini and the central defender gave Lekhwiya goalkeeper Baba Malick no chance as he found the top corner from just outside the penalty area.

Lekhwiya twice came close through Afif in the closing stages of the second half as the on-loan midfielder first shot wide from a promising position before Jafari cleared off the line after goalkeeper Rahman Ahmadi had only partially saved his shot.

But 10 minutes into the second half Afif, who is on loan from Al Sadd, capped an impressive display with the equaliser as the midfielder followed up after Ahmadi failed to hold Nam Tae-hee’s free-kick.

Lekhwiya, though, failed to avoid a second consecutive defeat of the campaign as Correa took advantage of poor defending from the visitors to head home Jafari’s cross in the 89th minute.

And Sepahan came close to extending their advantage in stoppage time, but Moharram Navidkia’s shot came back off the post.

Al Nasr 1-2 Al Ahli
Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli climbed out of last place in Group C and back into contention for a spot to progress in the AFC Champions League with a 2-1 win at Al Nasr on Tuesday.

Al Ahli dominated the opening half with Al Jassim and Brazilian striker Simoes creating several chances for the Al Nasr defenders.

Simoes found his way past Al Nasr defence, but was unable to strike a strong enough shot on goal. Al Jassim also had an effort from a tight angle on the left of the Al Nasr box tipped away by the Al Nasr custodian.

But the Saudi club took a deserved lead in the 27th minute after Al Jassim took advantage of a giveaway by Ali Salem Ahmed in the centre circle to send Simoes clear with a deft through ball. As Ahmed attempted to rectify his error, he slid into Moosa and Simoes had the simple task of flicking the ball over the goalkeeper and walking it into the net.

Al Nasr really had no answers in the first half. As the second half began to take shape they had a great chance to equalise. In the 50th minute Younus Ahmad Abdulla broke clear and tried to square the ball to Diane when he might have been better off shooting himself.

The home side lost possession and Al Ahli took advantage of the let-off by charging upfield. Al Jassim broke clear on the left before cutting inside a defender and firing a fierce drive into the roof of the net.

The 2 – 0 lead did not last long though. Al Nasr’s Diane made a strong burst from the halfway line and shook off the challenge of Kamil Al Mousa before thumping a low effort past Al Ahli goalkeeper Abdullah Al Muaiouf

Diane had a great opportunity to level the score 2 – 2 in the 58th minute when he cut inside a defender on the left of the Al Ahli box to set up an opportunity for himself only to blaze over with the goal at his mercy.

The game ended 1 – 2 with Al Ahli taking all 3 points.

Al Nasr 2 – 1 Lekhwiya
Al Nasr recorded their first ever victory in the AFC Champions League with a 2-1 win over Qatar league champions Lekhwiya on Wednesday.

The Group C game looked like it would end 1 – 1 but Al Nasr find the goal they needed deep into injury time.

Diane had earlier given Al Nasr the lead only for Burkina Faso international striker Moumouni Dagano to level the score for Lekhwiya with a free-kick just before half-time.

The result saw Al Nasr move level on three points with Lekhwiya with both teams also tied on goal difference and goals scored.

Al Nasr had several chances in the first half. In the 22nd minute Luca Toni surged clear of the Lekhwiya defence only to be denied by Lekhwiya goalkeeper Baba Malick who came off his line quickly to close down the Italian striker. Then Australian midfielder Mark Bresciano saw his free-kick tipped against the post by Malick before the home side made the breakthrough in the 36th minute.

The goal was set up by Toni, who slipped the ball through the Lekhwiya defence to Diane. The Ivorian scuffed his initial shot but the ball rebounded to him off the legs of Malick and he fired home at the second attempt.

Lekhwiya however where not ready to lie down just yet and Dagano fired a free-kick around the Al Nasr wall and into the bottom right corner of the Al Nasr net.

After a somewhat free-wheeling first half, both teams had fewer opportunities in the second half. Adel Lamy had perhaps the best chance for the visitors with a fierce shot that was tipped over by goalkeeper Abdulla Moosa.

It was all heading for a 1 – 1 draw when Al Nasr produced the winning goal.

Habib Fardan’s pass found Abbas all alone on the left of the box. Malick made a brilliant save to deny the Al Nasr player but he could only parry the ball to Diane, who tucked the ball away with virtually the final kick of the game.
Al Ahli 1-1 Sepahan
A final minute penalty from Victor Simoes penalty denied Iran champions Sepahan an away victory against Al Ahli in Group C of Match Day 2 of the AFC Champions League. Bruno Corrrea opened the scoring with 10 minutes on the clock.

Al Ahli dominated for the majority of the second half and substitute Simoes made no mistake from the penalty spot in extra time as Al Ahli picked up their first point of the campaign after losing 1-0 to Qatar champions Lekhwiya two weeks ago.

After netting the winner with six minutes remaining against Al Nasr, Corrrea beat Al Ahli goalkeeper Abdullah Al Muaiouf after 35 minutes after Moharram Navidkia had capitalised on a defensive error to pick out the Brazilian inside the penalty area.

Al Ahli whilst dominating proceedings, really failed to test Sepahan goalkeeper Rahman Ahmadi and Sepahan stuck to their counter attacking game which wasn’t producing any real opportunities.

But with Sepahan closing in on a second win of the campaign, Hassan Jafari upended Simoes inside the area and the Brazilian beat Ahmadi from the resulting penalty.

Sepahan v Al Nasr (1 – 0)
Al Nasr, who qualified for their first ACL appearance started brightly but faded as the game progressed. It took until the 86th minute for Correa to finally break the deadlock.

Italian striker Luca Toni had the best chance of the game in the first half for Al Nasr, but the World Cup winner was starved of service in the second period, although a heroic goalkeeping performance from Abdulla Moosa almost earned Walter Zenga’s visitors a point from the Group C opener.

With Al Nasr enjoying an encouraging start to their maiden continental appearance, the visitors had the best of the chances in the opening 45 minutes as Australia midfielder Mark Bresciano skimmed the top of the net with a free-kick midway through the first half.

And at the end of an entertaining but goalless first half, Toni should have handed Al Nasr the lead but the Italian headed wide at the back post despite ghosting in to meet an inviting free-kick unmarked.

Sepahan, though, increased the pressure after the break as Brazilian midfielder Fabio Januario drew an acrobatic save from Al Nasr goalkeeper Moosa midway through the second half.

Moosa was left rooted to the spot as midfielder Mehdi Karimian diverted a well-struck low shot from Albanian striker Xhevahir Sukaj onto the outside of the post shortly after.

Karimian again came close to a breakthrough as Moosa was called into action with just over 10 minutes remaining to push away the low skidding strike from the midfielder.

But with four minutes left to play, Sepahan finally found a way past Moosa as second-half substitute Moharram Navidkia was given too much time on the edge of the Al Nasr area and the midfielder took full advantage by slipping a pass through to the onrushing Correa and the Brazilian calmly lifted the ball over the advancing goalkeeper from just outside the six yard area.

Lekhwiya v Al Ahli (1 – 0)
Lekhwiya had a glorious opportunity to break the deadlock in the 14th minute when they were awarded a penalty after Nam was sent tumbling in the box by Jufain Al Bishi’s desperate challenge.

However, Al Ahli goalkeeper Yasser Al Mosailem did brilliantly to turn Burkina Faso striker Dagano’s effort against the left upright to keep the match scoreless.

In the 33rd minute, Nam’s excellent through ball sent Bakari Kone clear with only the goalkeeper to beat but the Ivory Coast forward rolled his attempt just wide of Al Mosailem’s right post.

Al Ahli’s best opportunity of the first half fell to Brazilian forward Victor Simoes, who played a neat one-two with Imad Ali Al Hosni on the edge of the Lekhwiya box before volleying the return ball against the upright.

The game remained scoreless through to half-time and much of the second period thanks to some excellent goalkeeping at both ends.

Al Mossailem did brilliantly to keep out an effort by Kone after the ball had been squared to the Ivorian by Dagano.

And Lekhwiya goalkeeper Baba Malick did well to twice deny Al Ahli, pushing away a stinging shot by Simoes in the 68th minute and then using his legs to deny Al Hosni, after the ball had been laid off to him by Simoes.

Almost immediately after Al Hosni’s miss, Lekhwiya brought the ball upfield and Nam cut in from the left flank and eluded a sliding challenge by Mohammed Massad before he launched a dipping effort from the left edge of the box that curled away from Al Mosailed and dropped into the far corner of the net.

Piroozi beat Al Ittihad 3-2 to end the Saudi Arabian team’s unbeaten record in the 2011 AFC Champions League and boost their own flagging hopes of place in the knockout stages.

Hamidreza Aliasgari stuck in the 14th minute before a second goal from Shpejtim Arifi two minutes later was cancelled out by Mohammed Al Rashed’s firm header in the first-half.

Aliasgari extended Piroozi’s lead in the 69th minute before the visitors pulled one back through a stoppage-time own goal from Sekou Berthe.

Piroozi came close to taking the lead after four minutes through Arifi. The striker latched onto a cross from the right but could not force the ball home.

Aliasgari then gave Piroozi a deserved lead in the 14th minute.

Nuno Assis tackled the ball backwards into his side’s penalty box and Aliasgari pounced on it to fire home even though Mabrouk Zaid got his fingers to the ball.

It took only two minutes for Arifi to extend the lead.

Aliasgari was the provider this time as he collected a long pass from Maziar Zare and flicked it to the unmarked Arifi to make it 2-0.

The Saudi Arabian side pulled a goal back after 19 minutes as Al Rashed met Paulo Jorge’s free-kick from the right, powering home a header to halve the deficit.

Arifi could have eased the pressure with a third just before the half-hour mark as Zaid punched Mohammad Nori’s corner from the left straight into his path, but he fired wide.

Nori then missed a chance of his own in first-half stoppage time as Piroozi pressed for a third.

The game became cagier after the restart with chances at a premium.

When an opportunity did come, Hossein Badamaki fired a left-footed effort wide of the post, and Mojtaba Shiri headed off target soon after.

Piroozi grabbed a third in the 69th minute. Hadi Norouzi crossed low into the penalty area and after neither Arifi nor Assis could get a touch, the lively Aliasgari beat the Al Ittihad keeper to score.

An own goal from Piroozi defender Berthe in added time was not enough for the visitors to prevent Piroozi from taking all three points.

Assis curled a dangerous free-kick across the box and Berthe inadvertently headed into his own net.

Bunyodkor moved to within touching distance of the last 16 in the 2011 AFC Champions League as Milos Trifunovic’s double saw the Uzbeks edge out Al Wahda 3-2 in an entertaining clash at the JAR Stadium.

Ismaeil Matar had given the visitors a shock second-minute lead but Trifunovic levelled nine minutes later before giving Bunyodkor a half-time lead.

Hugo equalised from the spot early in the second-half for Al Wahda but Anvarjon Soliev’s header six minutes from time sealed the points for Mirjalal Kasimov’s side.

Both teams came into the game looking for a win that would see them move into prime position to claim one of the two knockout berths from Group C and it was Al Wahda who struck first with a clinical goal after just two minutes.

Matar’s neat flick played in Mohamed Al Sheshi and he squared the ball back for the striker to calmly sidefoot past keeper Ignatiy Nesterov from 10 yards.

Anvar Rajabov then wasted a good chance when he scuffed a shot at the back post after Sasa Dordevic’s cross had found its way through to the forward before Bunyodkor equalised in the 11th minute.

Skipper Victor Karpenko forged down the left and although his wicked low cross went straight through the legs of Kamoliddin Murzoev, Trifunovic was on hand to slide home at the far post.

Hugo fired just wide from 25 yards five minutes later before Al Wahda thought they had gone in front for a second time from a corner but Nesterov just managed to keep the ball from crossing the line.

Bunyodkor then took the lead 10 minutes before the interval.

A short corner between Karpenko and Hayrulla Karimov saw the former whip in a cross and Trifunovic rose between Haider Ali and Al Shehhi to nod the ball past keeper Mutaz Abdulla.

Nesterov did well to claw away Fahed Masoud’s deflected shot on the line before Bunyodkor almost added a third when Rajabov brought the ball down in the box and Murzoev nicked it off his team-mate’s foot before stabbing a shot against the underside of the bar.

As half-time approached, Azizbek Haydarov outmuscled an Al Wahda defender down the left and played a one-two with Trifunovic but was unfortunate to see his low shot from the edge of the box strike the foot of the post with Abdulla stranded.

Al Wahda were then gifted a way back into the game in the 53rd minute when Matar’s free-kick from just outside the area struck a hand in the Bunyodkor wall and a penalty was awarded. Hugo coolly rolled the spot-kick into the bottom corner.

Jovlon Ibrokhimov fired over from 10 yards following Abdulla’s poor punch and at the other end, Hugo let fly from 30 yards with a fierce shot that flashed just past Nesterov’s post.

Tirfunovic then drew a low save out of Abdulla and Magrao did the same with Nesterov before Bunyodkor struck six minutes from time.

Islom Inomov’s measured ball into the box picked out the forward and he out-jumped an Al Wahda defender to head home as Abdulla could not keep it out despite getting a hand to the ball.

Bunyodkor landed a decisive blow in the battle for Group C in the 2011 AFC Champions League after downing Piroozi 3-1 at the Azadi Stadium.

Anvar Rajabov put Bunyodkor in front with a thunderous finish on the hour mark before Hayrulla Karimov’s penalty nine minutes later, after substitute Alireza Mohamed had been sent off for hauling down Rajabov, doubled their advantage.

A horrible defensive mix-up allowed Shpejtim Arifi to pull a goal back with four minutes to go before keeper Ignatiy Nesterov pulled off a brilliant save to deny the same player in istoppage time. Bunyodkor immediately launched a counter-attack and Victor Karpenko scored the third goal.

Saman Aghazamani headed off the line following a corner after 21 minutes and Piroozi had a good chance four minutes from the break when a cross from deep was flicked on to Hadi Norozi. The forward held the ball up before laying it off to Mohammad Nori but he dragged a left-foot shot just beyond the far post.

Only a desperate last-ditch challenge prevented Kamoliddin Murzoev from adding a second before Bunyodkor did extend their lead in the 69th minute.

Azizbek Haydarov’s pass set Rajabov free down the left and as he drove into the box, the forward was pulled back by Mohamed, who was sent-off.

Haghighi managed to get his fingers to Karimov’s penalty and push it onto the post but unfortunately for the Piroozi keeper, it came back off his head and into the net.

Another forceful Rajabov run ended with the striker flashing a shot just wide as the Piroozi defence backed off before Haghighi saved Sasa Dordovic’s header.

Bunyodkor then gifted Piroozi a way back into the game with four minutes to go. An innocuous ball trickling towards the Uzbeks’ goal posed no threat but a communication mix-up between Nesterov and his defender allowed Arifi to slide in and score.

His anger was exacerbated seconds later when Bunyodkor immediately launched a counter-attack and with players queuing up to score, Karpenko calmly applied the finish.

Al Ittihad became the first side to book their place in the last 16 of the 2011 AFC Champions League as a goalless draw with Al Wahda at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium gave them the point they needed to ensure they can finish no lower than second in Group C.

The result means the Saudis retain top spot with ten points, five points ahead of closest challengers Bunyodkor following the Uzbeks’ shock 3-1 win over Piroozi in Tehran. Al Wahda move ahead of the Iranians in third on three points with two matches left to play.

Saleh Al Saqri had the game’s first chance after just four minutes when he pounced on a loose ball inside the box and fired a fierce drive that Al Wahda keeper Mutaz Abdulla did well to beat away.

Abdelmalik Ziaya then headed Mohammed Noor’s cross over the bar at the far post nine minutes later before Al Wahda striker Ismaeil Matar shot from distance in the 26th minute but keeper Mabrouk Zaid gathered easily.

The second-half followed a similar pattern to the first in that Al Ittihad controlled proceedings but could not break down the resilient visitors.

Ziaya almost sneaked through in the 66th minute but Abdulla did enough to thwart the forward while at the other end, Hugo drove forward and unleashed a fierce strike from distance that flashed just past Zaid’s post.

Mohamed Al Shehhi led a rare foray forward for Al Wahda in the 77th minute when he cut inside a defender but his low shot was well held by Zaid.

Bunyodkor 0-0 Piroozi
Bunyodkor and Piroozi did nothing to help their 2011 AFC Champions League cause after the two teams played out a tepid goalless draw at JAR Stadium.

In a game devoid of any clear cut chances, the best fell to Kamoliddin Murzoev after just seven minutes but the forward was unable to capitalise.

Bunyodkor will in all likelihood feel the more aggrieved of the two sides having also had a goal disallowed in the second-half, while Piroozi will be relatively satisfied with a point although they will need to win the return in Tehran in two weeks’ time to maintain their hopes of progressing to the last 16 from Group C.

Overall it was a poor match with neither side able to maintain any decent possession and the ball spending the majority of the game bouncing around in the middle of the pitch while a total lack of quality in the final third meant opportunities were scarce at best.

Indeed, perhaps the clearest sight of goal fell to Murzoev seven minutes into the contest when a terrible clearance by the Piroozi defence fell into the striker’s path just outside the six-yard box but he swung his left foot wildly at the ball and slashed it high and wide.

Askar Jadigerov managed to get on the end of Sakhob Juraev’s cross just before the half-hour mark and at full stretch stuck out a boot to turn the ball goalwards but Piroozi keeper Alireza Haghihi comfortably pushed it behind for a corner.

The second-half made for equally bleak viewing although Bunyodkor thought they had broken the deadlock in the 66th minute.

Anvar Rajabov’s determined run down the right saw him skip a challenge but his cross was deflected towards the Piroozi goal.

Murzoev out-jumped Haghihi and managed to flick the ball back across goal towards substitute Yannis Mandzukas, who headed into an empty net. The goal was disallowed though, presumably for offside although it was unclear as to who the actual culprit was.

Rajabov’s cross from the left then almost sneaked in at the back post shortly afterwards in what proved to be the closest either side came to scoring in the final 20 minutes.

Bunyodkor 0-1 Al Ittihad
Al Ittihad won a hard fought victory to beat Bunyodkor 1 – 0 in their Group C clash of the AFC Champions League.

Bunyodkor made the first chance for the game after eight minutes when an unmarked Victor Karpenko volleyed wide from within the box.

Bunyodkor looked more threatening early on, and Shavkat Salamov wasted a good opportunity in the 25th minute when, with time and space in the penalty area, he chested down a cross but scuffed his shot.

Al Ittihad started to get more threatening as the game wore on. A Mohammed Al Rashid’s side-foot volley from close range over the bar on the half-hour mark was well saved by Bunyodkor’s keeper Ignatiy Nesterov.

It was not long before the visitors broke the deadlock as, with Al Harbi out-jumping Jadigerov to meet a clipped cross at the back post and head past Nesterov.

Karpenko had another sight of goal six minutes before the break when Kamoliddin Murzoev’s cross made its way through to the midfielder but his weak shot was gathered by keeper Mabrouk Zaid.

Bunyodkor continued it search for an equaliser in the second half with Karpenko firing closely at the 63rd minute mark. Zaid had to scramble across his goal to make the save. Moments later Sasa Dordevic wasted a glorious chance. Zaid came for a free-kick but only succeeded in knocking the ball down to the Serbian in the box but he shot wide with the Al Ittihad keeper out of position and two defenders on the line.

Zaid made amends for his blunder with quarter of an hour to go when Soliev met a cross at the back post but the custodian was able to push his powerful close range header over the bar. He then managed to turn Salomov’s corner over with the midfielder almost scoring direct from a set-piece.

The Saudis, though, were able to stand firm and repel the hosts over the closing minutes.

Piroozi 1-1 Al Wahda
Al Wahda earned another AFC Champions League point after drawing with Piroozi 1-1.

The result means Al Wahda remain unbeaten, with two draws so far, while Piroozi are off the mark with their first point in Group C.

Piroozi had their first chance in the 15th minute when Gholam Reza Rezaei’s cross was met by Hadi Noroozi’s close-range header but goalkeeper Ali Al Hosani was alert and prevented the goal.

Al Wahda’s Hugo was also in on the act with some threatening play at the other end shortly after when he collected a pass near the edge of the penalty area and struck a shot which took a deflection and was gathered by Rahman Ahmadi.

Nourmohammadi almost scored for Piroozi moments before the first half had ended with a powerful header via Gholam Reza Rezaei’s free-kick.

Al Wahda went ahead shortly after the break when Ameen received a pass inside the penalty area and produced a superb finish, finding the top corner beyond the reach of Ahmadi. They almost doubled their lead shortly after when Ismail Matar met a long kick forward from Al Hosani but fired wide.

Piroozi found the equaliser when Hadi Noroozi fed the ball to Mohammad Nouri and he picked out unmarked midfielder Hossein Badamaki to score.

Al Wahda 1-1 Bunyodkor
Two late goals lit up the Group C match between UAE Pro League champions Al Wahda and Uzbekistan champions Bunyodkor as their AFC Champions League encounter ended in a 1-1 draw.

With the game seemingly heading to a goalless conclusion, Bunyodkor substitute Murzoev Kamoliddin – on the pitch for just two minutes – set up Azizbek Haydarov to give the visitors an 84th minute lead that looked to have snatched the points.

However Hugo (Hugo Henrique Assis do Nascimento), a 63rd minute substitute for hosts Al Wahda, had other ideas and equalised with three minutes remaining to share the points and send the home crowd into a frenzy.

With the UAE Pro League title definitely not remaining with Al Wahda, success in the 2011 AFC Champions League is now the priority and Josef Hickesberger’s side managed to salvage a point against the Uzbeks despite missing a few opportunities.

Al Wahda served notice of their intentions early when Fernando Baiano let fly from the top of the box but Ignatiy Nesterov had no problem collecting the ball.

Seven minutes later the ball ricocheted off the Brazilian to Ismail Matar and the UAE star did well to beat a few defenders but his final effort was inches away from the far corner.

Bunyodkor, playing their first official match since their domestic season ended in October, looked rusty and it was not until the 21st minute that they threatened but Viktor Karpenko’s effort missed the target.

The best move of the match came in the 23rd minute when Baiano moved the ball out to Mohammad Al Shehhi on the right and the latter found Matar who in turn fed an advancing Mahmoud Khamis down the left. However Mahmoud’s effort was weak and straight at Nesterov, allowing the Bunyodkor keeper to save with ease.

Al Wahda finished the first period with another wasted chance, this time Al Shehhi and Baiano combining but the latter could not extend Nesterov.

Soon after the break Haider Allo thwarted Karpenko’s effort and at the other end, Baiano headed wide over the bar.

Both Mirdjalal Kasimov and Hickesberger rung the changes but the game appeared to be fizzling out into a goalless stalemate until the late fireworks that ended with Al Wahda snatching a draw.

Al Ittihad 3-1 Piroozi
Abdelmalek Ziaya struck twice as Al Ittihad began their 2011 AFC Champions League assault with an impressive 3-1 win over Piroozi at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium.

The striker opened the scoring for the two-time ACL champions in the Group C clash after 14 minutes with an exquisite finish before Maziar Zare’s deflected free-kick put the Iranians back on level terms.

However, Mohammed Noor’s penalty one minute after the interval re-established the home side’s lead and Ziaya rounded off a deserved victory with a close-range tap-in with quarter of an hour remaining.

The Algerian striker served notice he would need close attention after just five minutes when he met Noor’s deep cross with a powerful header on the edge of the area that Piroozi keeper Ahmad Rahman did brilliantly to tip onto the crossbar.

However, Ziaya broke the deadlock when he raced clear of the visiting defence before curling a sublime finish into the top corner.

Piroozi were level just six minutes later, however, thanks to a huge slice of fortune. Zare struck a fierce free-kick from distance that took a telling deflection off an Al Ittihad defender before ending up in the back of the net via the inside of the post with keeper Mabrouk Zaid left flat-footed on his line.

Paulo Jorge fired a dead ball into Rahman’s hands and Ziaya sliced wide following good link-up play with Mohammad Al Rashed as the half ended all square.

Al Ittihad came out roaring at the start of the second period and came close to retaking the lead within seconds of the restart only for Ziaya to see his dink over Rahman cleared off the line after the Piroozi keeper had managed to get a hand on the ball.

The Saudis were not to be denied and in the 49th minute went in front for a second time.

Nuno Assis latched onto a defence-splitting pass but was taken out in the box by the onrushing Rahman. Noor calmly sent the keeper the wrong way from the spot.

Rahman had to be alert to smother Assis’ shot two minutes later after the midfielder broke the offside trap with a run from deep and Saud Khariri tested the keeper with a close-range poke before sidefooting weakly in the 55th minute.

Rahman stood up well to block Ziaya’s finish after Al Ittihad carved Piroozi apart in the 70th minute but five minutes later, the striker had his second.

Substiute Rashad Al Raheb beat Sepehr Heydari with ease inside the area and his low centre across the six-yard box was tapped in at the back post by Ziaya.

Zaid flapped at a corner with eight minutes to go but Zare scuffed wide and Hamad Al Montishari headed Jorge’s cross against the outside of the far post as Al Ittihad made an impressive start to their continental campaign.

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

Group C is made up of the following teams:

• AL ITTIHAD (KSA)
• AL WAHDA (UAE)
• BUNYODKOR (UZB)
• PIROOZI ATHLETIC (IRN)

Al Ittihad
Currently sitting in 2nd position domestically (mid way through the 2010/11 season), Al Ittihad is having a strong season with 8 wins, no loses and 9 draws. In their 2010 AFC Champions League appearance, Al Ittihad had a mixed experience, winning 2 matches, drawing 2 and losing 2. They missed out on a round of 16 game and will be hoping to do better, although their Group C opponents are just as tough this year, so it will not be easy.

Al Wahda
Sitting mid table in the domestic UAE Football League, Al Wahda has had 5 wins, 3 draws and 4 loses so far. Their 2010 appearance in AFC Asian Champions League was a complete failure finishing last with 1 win and 5 loses. This year’s campaign will not be any easier and with a mixed domestic season it will be hard going to progress past the group stage.

Bunyodkor
2010 champions of the Uzbekistan Professional Football League, Bunyodkor are Uzbeckistan’s most successful club. In last year’s AFC Champions League they made it to second in Group B behind Zobahan with 3 wins, 2 loses and 1 draw. In the round of 16 they where thrashed 3 – 0 by Al Hilal, a very disappointing result. I would expect them to progress this year but with the long layoff it might be a struggle in the initial games.

Piroozi Athletic (Persepolis)
Persepolis are currently sitting mid table in the domestic Persian League with 10 wins, 4 draws and 8 loses. It hasn’t been their best season by far.  No 2010 appearance in the AFC Champions League, their last appearance was in 2009 where they progressed past the Group stage to be stopped at the round of 16. This is a very tough group with no real leader based on domestic results so far. There is a great opportunity for them here to make up for a lackluster domestic season.

Al-Ain 2–0 Sepahan

Ghalenoei knew victory against Al-Ain at the Sheikh Khalifa International Stadium in UAE would guarantee a second round appearance. Unfortunately for the Yellows, a 2-0 loss left them crossing their fingers and watching events elsewhere – events that would ultimately go against them.

A brace from Argentinian international Jose Sand was enough to give all three points to the home side, who ended their campaign with a little pride, and condemned their opponents to early elimination. The former River man grabbed the first from the spot a couple of minutes before the break and his second with 20 minutes left.

Al Shabab 2–1 Pakhtakor Tashkent

With Pakhtakor sitting atop Group C on 9 points and Shabab just behind them, both sides were well aware a victory for third place Sepahan would mean one of them would crash out tonight. “I will try a completely different strategy from the one used against Al Ittihad,” said Al Shabab coach Edgar Parreira in his pre-match press conference. Whatever it was, it worked.

Shabab went a goal behind courtesy of a Sherzod Karimov strike after half an hour, but the visitors struggled after Aleksander Kletskov received his marching orders five minutes later. The home side’s pressure eventually told when Tarik El Taib equalised from the penalty spot shortly after the hour mark, leaving Angolan international Flavio to grab a later winner to send his side through to the second round.

Group G

Gamba Osaka 2-1 Suwon Samsung Bluewings

A last minute strike by Takashi Usami, assured Gamba Osaka first place in Group G.

Gamba started the game in second position, 2 points behind Suwon, who had also yet to lose a game.

Suwon scored first in the 58th minute through Jose Mota, his fifth goal of the competition.

However, the Koreans were pegged back only three minutes later by Takahiro Futagawa.

Scores remained at 1-1 until injury time when the 17-year-old Usami netted the winner.

Gamba now lead the group with 1 point and play their final group game away to Henan. Suwon host Singapore Armed Forces in a game they will be expected to win convincingly.

Singapore Armed Forces 2-1 Henan Construction

Singapore Armed Forces won their first AFC Champions League game last night, beating Henan Construction by 2 – 1. This leaves the Chinese Super League side propping up the table with one match remaining.

Daniel Bennett’s 66th minute strike was equalised by Le Yu six minutes later but Erwan Gunawan Suherman assured Singapore’s first win with 12 minutes to go.

Group H

Pohang Steelers 0-0 Adelaide United

Pohang Steelers and Adelaide United have both progressed through to the next round at the expense of Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Shandong Luneng, by sharing the points with a 0 – 0 draw.

Adelaide lead by goal difference and host Shandong on matchday 6. Pohnag are away to Sanfrecce Hiroshima.

Shandong Luneng 2-3 Sanfrecce Hiroshima

A thrilling second-half, which saw four goals scored, left Sanfrecce Hiroshima the eventual winner but it was all in vain as Adelaide and Pohang secured the top two spots in the group.

Shandong took the lead through a Peng Han penalty on the 45 minute mark before Koji Morisaki levelled for Sanfrecce in the 75th minute. Sanfrecce made it 2 – 1 five minutes later thanks to Tadanari Lee but Shandong battled back to level five minutes from time thanks to Fred Benson. Lee was to have the last say though as he scored on the stroke of full time.

Group C

Pakhtakor Tashkent 3-2 Al-Ain

Pakhtakor needed a win over Al-Ain of UAE to all but guarantee their qualification to the second round. It didn’t however start that favourably when Jorge Valdivia gave Al Ain the lead after just three minutes with a trademark free kick.

Odil Ahmedov was left unmarked to head home an equaliser for Pakhtakor just six minutes later. Three minutes later Ahmedov put Pakhtakor ahead with an excellent finish. A frantic opening 20 minutes to the second half ended with an equaliser via an own goal from Ilhomjon Suyunov. Ahmedov then completed the scoring, and his hat-trick, on 28 minutes from close range.

Sepahan 1-0 Al Shabab

Iran’s Sepahan knew a win was needed to stay alive in Group C, while a victory for Shabab would see them seal their path into the second round.

It was the home side who grabbed the only goal of the game to bag three vital points. Midfielder Ahmad Jamshidian’s tenth minute strike was enough to take Sepahan to the verge of qualification.

Group D

Al Ahli 2-1 Mes Kerman

Five time UAE League champions Al Ahli have endured a pretty miserable ACL campaign so far this season. Their victory over Mes Kerman probably won’t be enough to take them into the second round, although mathematical they still have hope.

Things started well for the home side when Farzad Hosseinkhani put through his own net to gift the Dubai based club the lead after just three minutes. Mehdi Rajabzadeh’s 75th minute equaliser looked to have condemned Al Ahli to elimination, but Ahmad Khalil’s 83rd minute penalty leaves them with a slim chance of second round qualification going into their final group game with Al Sadd on matchday 6.

Al Hilal 0-0 Al Sadd

Al Hilal lead group D with ten points from four games and a win would be enough to see them progress to the next round.

Despite the home side being unable to break down the 11-time Qatari League champions, the goalless draw confirmed Hilal’s qualification for the second round while Sadd know that a home win over Al Ahli on matchday 6 will be enough to secure their progression.

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.

Quick summary of the results from the remainder of the Matchday 1 games played overnight in Asia’s premier club competition – Asian Champions League.

Group C

Al-Ain 0–1 Pakhtakor Tashkent
Al Shabab 1-1 Sepahan

Pakhtakor of Uzbekistan grabbed their first win over Al-Ain of the UAE  with a goal from Artur Gevorkyan right on the hour mark.

Saudi club Al Shabab hosted Sepahan from Iran. Their opening game ended 1 -1 after Sultan’s 70th minute equaliser cancelled out Hosseini’s first-half opener.

Group D

Al-Sadd 0-3 Al Hilal
Mes Krman 4–2 Al-Ahli

Saudi reigning champions Al Hilal made the right start with a thumping of Qatar champions Al Sadd in Doha. Yasser Al-Qahtani grabbed a brace before Brazilian Thiago Neves secured a comprehensive victory in the final minute.

Mes Krman celebrated their ACL debut with a 4-2 victory over Dubai based giants Al-Ahli. Krman got thier first goal on the 20 minute mark when Mostafa Sayfi put the hosts ahead. Goals followed from Salem Khamis and Mehrzad Madanchi either side of the break sealing off a great victory.  With 15 minutes remaining the home side clicked back into gear as Mehdi Rajabzadeh grabbed a brace before Ali Samereh put the icing on the cake with seconds remaining.

Group G

Suwon S.B 0–0 Gamba Osaka
Henan Siwu 0–0 Singapore Armed Forces

A very fry goal session for Group G overnight with no goals being recorded in the opening round. Gamba missed several chances with Hideo Hashimoto hitting the woodwork though former Paris St.Germain forward Reinaldo missed a golden opportunity for the Bluewings. Chinese side Henan Jianye were making their debut in the competition and won’t be too disappointed with a point against Richard Bok’s much improved Singapore Armed Forces.

Group H

Adelaide United 1-0 Pohang Steelers
Sanfrecce Hiroshima 0-1 Shandong Luneng

Adelaide United kicked off their ACL campaign with a tough win at home over reigning champions Pohang Steelers. The only goal of the game came just before half time from Matthew Leckie’s lucky strike. The 19-year-old latched onto a clearance from a Pohang corner and ran the length of the field before Park Hee-Chul deflected an attempted clearance back off the forward’s shin and past a despairing Shin Hwa-Yong in the Steelers goal.

Three-time Chinese champions Shandong Luneng left Sanfrecce’s Hiroshima Big Arch Stadium with Chinese international Han Peng grabbing the game’s only goal 15 minutes from time.