Al Hilal v Piroozi (1 – 1)
Saudi champions Al Hilal were able to pick up a point after having Osama Hawsawi sent off against Iranian Cup champions Piroozi in their AFC Champions League Group D game.

With a few minutes left before half time, Al Hilal found themselves a man and a goal down to Piroozi. Hawsawi was dismissed for handling the ball on the goalline and Ali Karimi stepped up to convert the resulting penalty.

But a brilliant free-kick by Mohammed Al Shalhoub early in the second half, settled the game.

Group D has yet to produce a winner with the earlier match between Al Shabab Al Arabi and Al Gharafa ending goalless. All four teams in Group D now have one point.

The first real chance in the first half came from Al Hilal’s Ahmed Al Fraidi. His curling in the 34th minute went narrowly wide of the right post.

Piroozi were the quiter of the two teams but an opportunity in the 6 yard box, lead to Hawsawi stretching out his hand while lying on the ground to keep out a shot by Mohammad Nouri that was heading into the bottom corner.

A direct red card, meant that Al Hilalt were a man down. Piroozi’s Ali Karimi calmly chipped the ball past goalkeeper Khalid Shrahili to give the Iranian side the lead.

Adil Hermach wasted a chance to restore parity for the home side before half-time when his free-kick sailed over the crossbar.

Within a few minutes into the second half, Al Shalhoub make no mistake when he bent a free-kick from 25 metres into the top left corner of the net.

Al Hilal were the most positive of the two teams and Yoo Byung-soo had a great opportunity to put them aheadbut the Korean stabbed his effort wide.

Just before the final whistle, Youssef El Arabi charged past two Piroozi defenders on the left byline but saw his effort from a narrow angle tipped away by Haghighi.

Both coaches seemed satisfied with sharing points and took many positives from the opening match.

Al Shabab Al Arabi v Al Gharafa (0 – 0)

A combination of excellent goalkeeping and poor finishing resulted in a draw for Al Shabab Al Arabi in their opening game of Group D, against Al Gharafa

Al Gharafa started brightly through Brazilian striker Diego Tardelli, although the visitors were indebted to goalkeeper Qasem Burhan as the visiting custodian denied Azizbek Haydarov and Walid Abbas in the first half.

Al Gharafa where required to substitute their goalkeeper 10 minutes before half-time. The replacement kept the scores level with a spectacular second half save from Ciel (Jociel Ferreira da Silva), although the Brazilian wasted two clear cut chances in the second 45 minutes for the home side.

Whilst the game seemed very even, a silly mistake from keeper Burhan almost handed the home side the lead, when he fumbled a low drive from Al Shabab’s Uzbekistan midfielder Haydarov around the post.

Burhan was again called into action to turn Abbas’ rising angled strike over the crossbar. This great save, resulted in an injury which saw the keeper replaced by Ali.

Ali,although fresh from the bench acrobatically turned Ciel’s speculative long range free-kick onto the face crossbar shortly after the restart.

With 5 minutes remaining, Al Shabab substitute Naser Masood wasted a glorious chance as he headed wide at the far post with the goal at his mercy from Abdulla Hassan’s inviting left wing cross.

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.

Jeonbuk Motors  v  Guangzhou Evergrande (1-5)
Guangzhou Evergrande emphatically signaled their AFC Champions League intentions by  stunning last year’s runners-up Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.

Although the start was relatively even, Guangzhou gradually began to assert their authority on the game as the half progressed and the visitors took the lead after 27 minutes through Cleo.

With Jeonbuk conceding possession to Gao Lin on the edge of their own penalty area, the China international exchanged a series of intricate passes with Cleo before the Brazilian striker guided a composed strike past Kim Min-sik.

The home side twice came close to a response through Eninho (Enio Oliveira Junior), but four minutes before the break the visitors doubled their advantage as Conca guided a free-kick from a central position just outside the Jeonbuk penalty area around the wall and into the bottom corner.

The second half began as the first ended with Guangzhou dominating. With 21 minutes remaining Guangzhou added a third as Cleo slid in to divert Conca’s angled strike past a helpless Kim.

Jeonbuk found an instant response as Jeong’s exquisite backheel from Lee Dong-gook’s low cross reduced the deficit with 20 minutes remaining.

Guangzhou, though, emphatically responded as Conca added his second of the night with a superb 25-yard strike with 17 minutes remaining before Muriqui found his way onto the scoresheet as the Brazilian showed superb control on the edge of the area before drilling a strike under Kim from the edge of the area.

Buriram United v  Kashiwa Reysol (3-2)

Jirawat’s 10th minute opener and a superb strike from Uzbekistan midfielder Askar Jadigerov seven minutes before the break handed Attaphol Puspakom’s side a dream start at Buriram Stadium.

Playing their first ever match in the AFC Champions League, Buriram quickly got into the stride and offered the greater threat in the opening exchanges and the home side broke the deadlock in the tenth minute as Jirawat beat goalkeeper Takanori Sugeno at his near post.

Buriram made the most of an opportunity at around the half hour mark, when Jadigerov found space on the edge of the Kashiwa area before coolly guiding a looping shot over Sugeno’s despairing dive to double the home side’s advantage in spectacular fashion.

An unmarked Tanaka was presented with a glorious chance to reduce the deficit just before half-time, but he could only direct a weak header straight at Sivaruk Tedsungnoen.

Tanka, though, was not to be denied 10 minutes into the second half as half-time substitute Lobo sent a low cross across the face of the Buriram goal, handing his strike partner a simple finish at the back post.

And Lobo again turned provider nine minutes later as the Brazilian surged down the right and delivered an inviting cross into the area for Japan Under-23 international Sakai to rise above the Buriram defence and send a powerful header into the bottom corner.

But with 13 minutes remaining, Jirawat scored at close range with a powerful shot to win the match for Buriram.

Nagoya Grampus v Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma (2 – 2)
A spectacular overhead kick with the last touch of the game saw Brazilian striker Hevertinho rescue a point for Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma with a 2-2 draw against Nagoya Grampus in Group G on Wednesday.

Hevertinho (Héverton Durães Coutinho Alves) had given the 2010 ACL champions the lead just two minutes after half-time when he raced onto a long clearance from goalkeeper Ha Kang-jin before thumping the ball high into Seigo Narazaki’s net.

But Grampus pulled level when Josh Kennedy scored from the penalty spot in the 57th minute and Dragan Stojkovic’s team thought they had done enough to take all three points when Mu Kanazawa finished off a fine attacking move in the 73rd minute with a side-footed effort from the edge of the area.

Hevertinho, though, had other ideas and, with Seongnam growing increasingly desperate, he struck in flamboyant fashion to give Shin Tae-yong’s side a share of the points.

Stojkovic, meanwhile, was left to rue missing out on collecting all three points due to Hevertinho’s late intervention.

Tianjin Teda v Central Coast Mariners (0 – 0)
Chinese FA Cup winners Tianjin Ted shared the spoils with last season’s A-League runners-up Central Coast Mariners as the pair picked up a point apiece in their opening Group G encounter in the 2012 AFC Champions League on Wednesday.

The 0-0 draw was Tianjin’s first competitive fixture of 2012 after losing 2-1 in the Chinese Super Cup to Guangzhou Evergrande at the weekend, and new coach Josip Kuze was left with mixed emotions after the game.

Central Coast coach Graham Arnold conceded his team were far from being in perfect condition following their 1-1 draw in the A-League with Sydney FC at the weekend and the tiring journey to Tianjin.

Al Rayyan V Esteghlal (0 – 1)

Substitute Goran Jerkovic scored in stoppage time as Iranian giants Esteghlal followed up their back-to-back play-offs wins with a dramatic 1-0 victory over Qatar’s Al Rayyan at the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium in the AFC Champions League on Tuesday.

With 80 minutes already played and no goals scored, the match appeared to be headed for a goalless draw. However a wonder substitution, bringing French striker Jerkovic on for Milad Midavoodi changed the game and the scoreline almost instantly. The game ended 0 – 1, giving Esteghlal a great away win only their 3rd in their history within the competition.

Prior to Jerkovic’s late heroics, the match had been a largely scrappy affair with few real scoring opportunities.

Esteghlal was lucky not to be playing with 10 men for almost 60 minutes of the game when defender Ali Hamoudi made a very late and ugly challenge on Younes Ali.

Late in the first half, Esteghlal had a claim for a penalty when Esmaeil Sharifat went down in the box after he tried to get around the challenge of Abdulla Afifa, but all that the Esteghlal player got for his troubles was a yellow card for diving.

Al Rayyan should have taken the lead just before the hour as a swift counter-attack caught the Esteghlal defence cold and as they scrambled to get back in numbers, Rodrigo Tabata’s pass found Leandro all alone inside the box but the Brazilian striker could only fire his shot over the crossbar.

The match was heading towards the final whistle when the visitors struck after a quickly taken free-kick by Hanif Omranzadeh caught out the Al Rayyan defence and Jerkovic turned home from close range after a shot from the edge of the area deflected off an Al Rayyan defender and fell invitingly into the Frenchman’s path.

Nasaf V Al Jazira (2 – 4)

The match had been postponed for 24 hours dew to heavy snow.  But when the action finally did get underway in sunny conditions in Karshi, the home team were quickly out of the blocks and took the lead after only two minutes.

A free-kick taken by Artur Gevorkyan caused confusion in the Al Jazira defence when goalkeeper Ali Khasif failed to punch the ball clear. In the scramble that followed, Ilkhom Shomuradov was denied by a desperate tackle but the ball fell to Musaev who shot home from close range.

Nasaf stayed positive after heavy attacks from Al Jazira and got a deserved second in the 18th minute. Sami Rubiya attempted to cut out Gevorkyan’s cross from the right side but he only succeeded in deflecting the ball into his own net.

Khasif kept the deficit at two with a magnificent double save in the 36th minute. The Al Jazira goalkeeper did well to parry a powerful shot by Andrejs Pereplotkins and then recovered quickly to turn Turaev’s follow-up over the crossbar.

Two minutes later however the game began to change. The Nasaf defence switched off on an Al Jazira free-kick and allowed an unmarked Juma Abdullah to head easily past Zukhorov.

Nasaf squandered several chances to restore their two-goal cushion and they would rue their wastefulness as Al Jazira got back on level terms midway through the second half. The visitors charged upfield after a Nasaf attack had broken down and the ball eventually found its way to Abdulla Moussa, who fired home from the left edge of the Nasaf box.

With 15 minutes to go, the UAE side went ahead for the first time after once again catching out the Nasaf defence on the counter attack. As the hosts scramble to clear their lines, the ball broke to substitute Bare, who calmly slid the ball past Zukhorov.

And Oliveira would complete the scoring with two minutes left as he slotted home easily after the ball had been laid off to him by the unselfish Bare

Gamba Osaka V Pohang Steelers (0 – 3)

Jose Carlos Serrao’s opening match as head coach of Gamba Osaka could not have started in worse fashion with the Gamba suffering a 3-0 home defeat at the hands of Korea’s Pohang Steelers.

Pohang took the lead in the 19th minute when Shin Kwang-hoon sent in a superb cross on the run from the right hand side of the pitch connecting with Kim Tae-su ho headed home the opening goal.

A few minutes later, Gamba keeper Yosuke Fujigaya gifted Pohang a second goal. Fujigaya attempted to punch clear Hwang Jin-sung’s corner but his weak effort ricocheted off the head of Pohang’s Serbian defender Zoran Rendulic into the back of the net.

With 14 minutes left to play in the match, Pohang made it 3 – 0. Pohang’s Shin Hyung-min capitalised on a giveaway by the Gamba defence to send Derek Asamoah clear and the Ghanaian chipped the ball past Fujigaya to seal Gamba’s heaviest home defeat in the AFC Champions League.

Bunyodkor V Adelaide United (1 – 2)

Nigel Boogaard and Antony Golec scored and goalkeeper Eugene Galekovic produced a string of key saves as Australia’s Adelaide United stunned Uzbekistan champions Bunyodkor with a 2-1 victory in their Group E opener at Jar Stadium on Tuesday.

In the first meeting between the two sides since Adelaide won their 2008 semi-final clash 3-1 on aggregate, the A-League side once again came out on top thanks to a goal in each half by Boogaard and Golec.

Galekovic, helped out some heroic Adelaide defending, then kept the home side at bay until Kamoliddin Murzoev struck a consolation for Bunyodkor in the fourth minute of stoppage time as the Reds joined Korea’s Republic’s Pohang Steelers at the top of Group E after the 2009 champions beat Gamba Osaka 3-0 in Japan.

The visitors went ahead after 12 minutes when Osama Malik flicked on Iain Ramsay’s corner for defender Boogard to head home from inside a crowded penalty area.

Bunyodkor enjoyed plenty of possession on a heavy pitch in the Uzbekistan capital, but the home side fell further behind after a devastating counter-attack by Adelaide eight minutes into the second half.

Dario Vidosic slipped a through ball from the halfway line to Golec, who laid the ball on for an unmarked Ramsay.

Bunyodkor’s Uzbekistan international goalkeeper Ignatiy Nesterov managed to keep out Ramsay’s initial effort, but Golec slid in to bundle the loose ball into the back of the net.

Galekovic made a series of fine saves to keep Bunyodkor at bay in the closing stages, but the Adelaide goalkeeper was finally beaten in stoppage time as Murzoev followed up after the Reds’ custodian had saved Victor Karpenko’s glancing header.

Baniyas v Al Arabi (2 – 0)
A first-half penalty from captain Yousef Jaber and a composed second half finish from Spanish midfielder Francisco Yeste secured AFC Champions League debutants Baniyas a memorable 2-0 win over Qatar’s Al Arabi in Group B on Tuesday.

Both sides enjoyed an even share of possession in the first half. Senegalese striker Andre Senghor, who was the top scorer in the UAE Pro League last season with 18 goals, saw his close range effort cleared off the line on the half-hour mark.

That chance brought the game to life as Al Arabi’s Boualem Khoukhi saw his well-struck rising free-kick pushed onto the crossbar by goalkeeper Mohamed Khalaf before Fareed Al Hammadi hit the foot of the post for Baniyas five minutes later.

But in the last minute of the first half, Al Hammadi was bundled over inside the area by Abdulaziz Al Sulaiti and Jaber confidently converted the resulting penalty after sending goalkeeper Rajab Hamza the wrong way.

Al Arabi made a bright start to the second half but visiting goalkeeper Hamza was twice called into action to deny Haboosh Saleh Salbookh and Oman striker Fawzi Bashir before Yeste fired narrowly over.

Khalaf was quickly off his line to block at the feet of Togolese striker Arafat Djako with just over 20 minutes remaining before Senghor headed against the Al Arabi crossbar five minutes later.

But the home side doubled their advantage two minutes later as Senghor laid the ball off to the onrushing Yeste inside the area, and after the Spanish midfielder had skipped past an Al Arabi defender, he gave Hamza no chance with a composed finish.

Al Ittihad v Pakhtakor (4 – 0)
Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia put made a great start to their 2012 AFC Champions League campaign winning convincingly against Uzbekistan’s Pakhtakor 4-0 in their opening match in Group B.

Mohammed Abusabaan scored twice with Abdelghni and Omar also on target for the two-time Asian Champions League winners.

The Saudi side had been ordered to play the match without spectators following unruly behaviour by their fans during their AFC Champions League quarter-final clash against FC Seoul last September.

The home side hit the lead only three minutes into the game. Moroccan forward Faouzi Abdelghni won a foot race with Aleksey Nikolaev to a long ball on the right of the Pakhtakor box and he rounded advancing goalkeeper Temur Juraev before firing the ball into the far corner of the net.

Several minutes later, forward Naif Hazazi rounded keeper Juraev but saw his shot from a tight angle cleared off the line by Murod Khalmukhamedov before heading past Juraev only to see his effort rebound off the crossbar.

On the half hour mark, Al Ittihad surged forward down the left, and with Abusabaan holding his run in centre of the field, Hazazi played a sweet ball for the onrushing midfielder to stretch and guide the ball past the onrushing Juraev.

Pakhtakor’s went down to 10 men nine minutes before half-time as Kletskov was sent-off after picking up a second yellow card in quick succession.

Abusabaan notched his second of the game and Al Ittihad’s third in the 50th minute. A Mohammed Noor shot was stopped by a defender but the Moroccan was on hand to guide home the loose ball.

And the Saudi side added another seven minutes later when substitute Abdulla Omar raced unchallenged from the halfway line before hammering an unstoppable effort past Juraev to complete the rout.

Brisbane Roar v FC Tokyo (0 – 2)

Tatsuya Yazawa and Aria Jasuru Hasegawa scored a goal in each half as Japan’s FC Tokyo made an excellent start to their maiden AFC Champions League campaign with a 2-0 away win over Australian champions Brisbane Roar on Tuesday.

The home side dominated possession in damp conditions in Brisbane but it was the Japan Emperor’s Cup winners that took the lead on the stroke of half-time when Yazawa rounded off a superb counter-attack by sliding in to the six-yard box to turn in Yuhei Tokunaga’s low cross from the right.

And the visitors extended their lead in the 56th minute. Naotake Hanyu broke the Brisbane offside trap and although Brisbane goalkeeper Michael Theoklitos did well to stop his initial effort, he could only parry the ball which deflected off Matt Smith and fell nicely for Hasegawa to tap in.

Reigning A-League champions Brisbane are unbeaten in their last five games domestically and are currently second in the table with just three games remaining in the regular season, but coach Ange Postecoglou admits his side fell short on their debut in the competition.

Ulsan Hyundai v Beijing Guoan (2 – 1)

First-half goals by Kim Shin-wook and Ko Seul-ki helped lift Korea’s Ulsan Hyundai to a 2-1 victory over Beijing Guoan of China in their AFC Champions League Group F opener on Tuesday.

Kim Shin-wook broke the deadlock at Ulsan Munsu Stadium after 26 minutes before Ko doubled the home side’s lead eight minutes later.

Chinese Super League runners-up Beijing found a way back into the match six minutes after half-time through substitute Cheng Piao, but the visitors failed to complete the comeback as Ulsan set the early pace in Group F alongside Japan’s FC Tokyo, who beat Brisbane Roar 2-0 in Australia.

The visitors should have taken the lead in the opening exchanges when Beijing captain Xu Yunlong failed to convert an opportunity right in front of goal.

And Beijing paid dearly for the miss as Ulsan took the lead midway through the first half as Kim Shin-wook met Kim Seung-yong’s corner with a glancing header.

The hosts extended their lead eight minutes later when Lee Keun-ho brought the ball in from the right flank and although his pass was just behind Kim Shin-wook, it fell nicely for Ko and the midfielder superbly beat Hou Sen from 25 yards.

Beijing, though, reduced the deficit with a fortuitous goal six minutes into the second half as Cheng Piao’s attempted chipped pass from midfield sailed over the head over Ulsan goalkeeper Kim Young-kwang.

However, the visitors were unable to find an equaliser and Beijing finished the match with 10 men as Zhang Xinxin picked up a second yellow card in stoppage time.

Cerezo Osaka 2-1 Arema Indonesia
Cerezo Osaka celebrated their AFC Champions League debut by beating Arema Indonesia 2-1 in their Group G opener at Nagai Stadium in Osaka on Wednesday.

Rodrigo Pimpao, who is on loan from Rio giants Vasco de Gama, scored both goals, with the Brazilian striker grabbing the opener early in the first half before netting the winner in the 76th minute after Singapore international Noh Alam Shah had equalised from the penalty spot.

Cerezo, who qualified for their first-ever ACL by coming third in last year’s J. League, displayed aggressive football from the start of the game, with Pimpao, Taskashi Inui and Shu Kurata moving well in attack.

The hosts went ahead in the 14th minute thanks to the combination of trio.

Inui latched on to a through ball from Kurata and went down to the byline before returning the ball to Pimpao, who headed home the opener from inside the area.

In the 25th minute, Inui threatened the Arema goal with a shot from a Kurata pass but the ball went wide.

Arema, playing in the ACL for only their second time after making their debut in the 2007 edition, tried to find their pace with the services of forwards Slovakian Roman Chmelo and Alam Shah.

In the 30th minute, midfielder Ahmad Bustomi got a ball from the back and ran down the left flank to hit a shot from just inside the box but his effort, hit under pressured by Daisuke Takahashi, sailed past the woodwork.

After the break the Indonesian side, currently placed second in their domestic league, rallied and came close with a mid-range attempt from Chmelo, forcing Korea international goalkeeper Kim Jin-hyeon to palm the ball out of the area for a corner.

A minute later, referee Torki Mohsen penalised Cerezo defender Taikai Uemoto for a handball in the area as he attempted to clear an Arema cross out of the area and Alam Shah subsequently converted the 49th minute penalty.
Boosted by that goal. Arema found their passing ability and frustrated the hosts by pressuring them hard.

Nevertheless, Cerezo passed the ball around patiently and came in to the box with chances and half chances from Kim Bo-kyung and Kurata halfway through the second half. Kim hit the bar in the 70th minute, while Arema goalkeeper Achmad Kurniawan reacted well to deny an attempt from Kurata two minutes later.

And their efforts were finally rewarded in the 76th minute when Pimpao connected with a Masaki Chugo free-kick and put his side ahead once again from close range.

Arema fought hard and came close to levelling the scores again in the 85th minute when Alam Shah’s shot beat advancing goalkeeper Kim, but Cerezo defender Teruyuki Moniwa rushed in to rescue the south Osaka team.

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 1-0 Shandong
A second-half header from Park Won-jae was enough to give Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors a deserved 1-0 win over Shandong Luneng at Jeonju World Cup Stadium in Group G of the AFC Champions League.

On a cold night at the home of the 2006 ACL winners, the former Pohang Steelers and Omiya Ardija wing-back struck on the hour after Jeonbuk had missed a number of chances against the Chinese champions.

Most of the first-half was spent in Shandong territory and the best opportunity of the opening period fell to Lee Dong-guk after 14 minutes.

Eninho launched a ball down the right side for Cho Sung-hwan to cross and it fell to the former Middlesbrough marksman 10 yards out but with the goal at his mercy, he sent the shot wide.

Two minutes later, Cho almost put his team ahead when he latched on to a left-sided corner to fire in the direction of the goal but Li Wei managed to get his body in the way.

Shandong offered little going forward and just after the half-hour, the busy Eninho went close with a free-kick from inside the arc on the edge of Shandong’s area. The Brazilian’s curling shot just shaved the outside of Yang Cheng’s left post.

Seven minutes after the restart, Cho was involved yet again as he headed over a corner from close range.

Just as Jeonbuk fans were starting to think that it wasn’t going to be their night, the deadlock was broken in the 60th minute.

From outside the right corner of the penalty area, Eninho floated over a tantalising cross to the far post. It eluded a host of players from both teams but Park followed in and, after the ball had bounced, headed over the line from close range from a narrow angle.

Shandong then began to push forward in search of an equaliser. A mix-up in defence on the right corner of the box allowed Zheng Zheng to steal possession and the midfielder unleashed a fierce low shot that flashed past Jeonbuk’s left-hand post.

The visitors came even closer 12 minutes from time.

Han Peng had been on the pitch for just a few minutes when he was afforded space to head Zhou Haibin’s cross from the right towards the far corner of the Jeonbuk goal, forcing a flying save from Jeonbuk debutant Yeom Dong-hyunm, who managed to tip the ball round the post for a corner.

Both sides continued to create half-chances but the scoreline stayed the same to get Jeonbuk off to a winning start.

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.

Al Rayyan 1-1 Al Shabab
Al Shabab came from a goal down to hold Al Rayyan at Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium as Nasser Al Shamrani’s second-half header clinched a 1-1 draw.

Last year’s AFC Champions League semi-finalists fell behind in the 33rd minute when Brazilian striker Itamar converted from the spot,

But Al Shamrani pounced just before the hour mark to ensure a share of the spoils for the Saudis.

In a Group D clash played in chilly conditions, both teams wasted little time in seeking the early momentum.

In the fifth minute, the local fans gave former Al Rayyan player Marcelo Tavares a tough reception when he headed away a looping shot from Fabio Cesar near the goaline.

Itamar then wasted a good chance to give Al Rayyan an early lead after nine minutes when midfielder Rodrigo Tabata provided a perfect pass but the 30-year-old, who played for four different Korean clubs, failed to tap in barely three yards from goal with keeper Waleed Abdullah left helpless.

Al Rayyan skipper Fabio Cesar nearly produced an exquisite opener on the half-hour mark but his left-footed effort from near the penalty spot was just the wrong side of the post with Al Shabab keeper Abdullah well beaten.

The home side did take the lead three minutes later, though, when Al Shabab midfielder Ali Atif tripped Hamid Ismael inside the box and referee Yuichi Nishimura wasted little time in pointing to the spot.

Itamar, who had not been at his sharpest up until then, coolly beat Abdullah from 12 yards to give Al Rayyan a half-time lead.

Shabab defender Hassan Muath called Saoud Abdulla into action six minutes into the second-half but the Al Rayyan keeper tipped his shot over the bar.

Abdulla did excellently once again in the 54th minute to preserve his side’s advantage when he managed to stop defender Zaid Almowalad’s ferocious shot, although he needed medical attention shortly afterwards.

The visitors finally got back on level terms in the 59th minute when Al Shamrani found the back of Al Rayyan net. Almowalad delivered from the far side and the striker’s diving header proved good enough to beat Abdulla.

Al Shabab almost grabbed a winner with 14 minutes to go but Abdulaziz Saran saw his header bounce back off the bar as both sides were forced to settle for a point apiece. 

Zob Ahan 2-1 Emirates
Zob Ahan battled back from a goal down to a record a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Emirates at Foolad Shahr Stadium on Wednesday.

In a first half of few scoring opportunities, the visitors took a shock lead six minutes before the break through Nabil Daoudi.

It did not last long though as Seyed Mohammad Hosseini equalised just before half time and Igor Castro sealed Zob Ahan’s victory with a 55th minute goal.

Zob Ahan’s Shahab Gordon was the first of either keeper to be called into action when he did well to get a hand to Daoudi’s low shot with less than five minutes gone.

But after that there were few noteworthy opportunities as play was largely contested in midfield with the few forays forward from either side well dealt with by the respective defence.

It looked as though the first half was to come to a goalless conclusion but the visitors stunned their opponents in the 39th minute when they took the lead.

A long ball from Emirates’ own half over the top had the defence beaten and Gordan misjudged his attempted save, missing the ball completely to allow Daoudi to race on and finish from a tight angle.

But the lead did not last long as another goalkeeping error presented Zob Ahan with the leveller when Ahmad Ibrahim failed to catch a long throw from the right and Hosseini was on hand to nod into the empty net.

The hosts then went ahead 10 minutes into the second half when Ibrahim was unable to hold onto a Shahin Kheiri free-kick and succeeded in only pushing the ball into the path of Igor Castro, who had raced forward to pounce on the ball and stab home.

The pace of the game slowed down after that, though Emirates attempted to respond in the 69th minute when they were awarded a free-kick in a promising position but Karim Kerkar’s dipping effort was straight at Gordan.

Zob Ahan controlled possession for the remaining minutes and had a chance to add third in the last five minutes when Mohammad Reza Khalatbari – who had had a largely quiet game – struck a well-hit effort that Ibrahim got down to save well.

There was a scare for the Iranians though just before full time when Emirates enjoyed a spell of pressure but Zob Ahan held on to ensure their bid for the title got off to a winning start.

Sydney FC (0 – 0) Suwon Samsung Bluewings
Ten-man Sydney FC and Suwon Samsung Bluewings played out a hard-fought scoreless draw in their opening AFC Champions League Group H match at the Sydney Football Stadium on Wednesday.

The home side were forced to play a man short for nearly an hour in a sometimes tempestuous contest after skipper Terry McFlynn was dismissed for stamping on Lee Sang-ho.

Suwon fielded their quartet of new signings in defender Hwang Jae-won, midfielder Lee Yong-rae, striker Yeom Ki-hoon as well as Korea Republic’s 2010 FIFA World Cup goalkeeper Jung Sung-ryong.

Despite high-tempo movement at times Suwon displayed rustiness on a number of occasions ahead of the K-League season, which commences this weekend, while Sydney, whose A-League season concluded three weeks ago, extended their unbeaten run to nine matches in their first continental outing for three years.

Sydney’s new signing David Williams had a quiet debut on the right flank where he was rarely allowed enough latitude to display his speed. Striker Bruno Cazarine was invariably forced to battle alone up front following the dismissal of McFlynn.

In a match of few openings Suwon’s Choi Sung-kuk had perhaps the best chance of the contest after just eight minutes but the visiting captain spurned a glorious opportunity by blazing well over with only exposed goalkeeper Liam Reddy to beat.

At the other end the home side failed to test the visiting goalkeeper until moments before half-time with Sydney’s Japanese midfielder Hirofumi Moriyasu warming the palms of keeper Jung from distance.

The Koreans commenced the second period in bright fashion with Yang Sang-min forcing a fine sprawling save from Reddy, before Oh Jang-eun narrowly cleared the crossbar with a spectacular overhead kick.

Suwon defender Mato Neretljak curled a free-kick around the wall with five minutes remaining only for the ball to clear the near post of a diving Reddy.

Almost immediately after Sydney defender Stephan Keller directed a header wide as the home side ramped up the pressure in the final minutes.

However a goal was not forthcoming for either side, meaning they both had to settle for a share of the spoils in their ACL opener.

Kashima Antlers (0 – 0) Shanghai Shenhua
Kashima Antlers were held by Shanghai Shenhua in a goalless draw at Hongkou Stadium on Wednesday in their AFC Champions League Group H opener.

The visitors from Japan were the better of the two sides throughout the match, but they failed to break Shanghai’s gritty defence.

All four sides in the group are tied on one point after Sydney FC and Suwon Samsung Bluewings also played out a goalless draw in Sydney earlier on Wednesday.

The visitors looked more dangerous in the first half, having plenty of possession while Shanghai appeared defensive-minded, and they were the first to threaten in the early exchanges.

Shanghai goalkeeper Wang Dalei made no mistake in denying Takuya Nozawa’s two long-range efforts shortly after the match got underway.

Kashima had another sniff of goal with 15 minutes gone when Fellype Gabriel headed Nozawa’s corner into the path of the onrushing Takeshi Aoki at the far post, only to see Wang make a timely block to deny the midfielder.

It was not until 20 minutes into the game that the hosts made their first attempt when Duvier Riascos’ left-footed long-range effort was collected by keeper Hitoshi Sogahata with ease.

Luis Salmeron then posed a real threat to Sogahata, heading Jiang Kun’s cross from the right over the crossbar.

Four minutes after the half-hour mark, Fellype Gabriel headed Nozawa’s cross across the face of goal, only to see Shanghai’s Syrian defender Abdulkader Dakka react quickly to clear it.

Kashima accelerated their attacking pace after the interval as the hosts looked determined to guard the goal with a massed defence.

However, Shanghai created a golden opportunity nine minutes into the second period through a counter-attack.

Jiang’s volley on the edge of the penalty area deflected off a defender before Salmeron collected the loose ball from 10 yards, but his lobbed shot wasn’t strong enough to beat Sogahata.

Kashima then turned the remainder of the game into a one-sided affair, having Shanghai pinned inside their own half.

But the visitors were still unable to produce much real attacking threat while Salmeron called Sogahata into action following a counter attack four minutes after the hour mark. The Argentinean striker latched onto a well-weighted cross from Wu Xi before clipping a 15-yard effort which was parried out by the keeper with a superb reflex save.

Kashima came close to a first goal four minutes later when a corner by Alex caused a goalmouth scramble with Fellype Gabriel hitting a spectacular bicycle kick that flew just over the bar.

But neither side managed to create any meaningful action in the last 20 minutes, meaning they had to settle for a share of the points.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Hangzhou Greentown (2-0) Nagoya Grampus
Substitute Ba Li gave Hangzhou Greentown a dream start to their AFC Champions League debut as he scored one and set up another to help the Chinese side stun Japanese champions Nagoya Grampus 2-0 in their Group F opener.

Ba provided the assist for Luis Ramirez just after being brought onto the pitch just after the hour mark before scoring his side’s second five minutes before time when Hangzhou looked desperate to protect their slender lead.

The ACL debutants’ outplayed and outsmarted the visitors, particularly in the first half, with the Ramirez and Sebastian Vazquez proving constant threats to the Nagoya defence.

Midway through the first half, Vasquez headed Wang Song’s inviting cross straight at Narazaki from the far post before the Uruguayan’s 30-yard strike was collected by the keeper one minute later.

Nagoya finally had a sniff of goal in the 30th minute when the unmarked Marcus Tulio Tanaka latched onto a free-kick by Jungo Fujimoto, only to see his powerful 15-yard drive fly over the bar.

Nagoya came out strong in the second half and were holding onto the ball more and Josh Kennedy and Tamada both fired two long-range efforts, though neither attempt was strong enough to threaten Jiang.

One minute before the hour mark, Ba replaced Shen and the substitution paid dividends soon after the switch.

The youngster collected Sun Ji’s pass in the box before clipping the ball across the face of the goal with Ramirez reacting quickly to shoot past Narazaki.

The goal sparked Nagoya to life as the visitors intensified attack to seek an equaliser and Masukawa looked for an immediate reply but his header flew just wide.

Ba locked up the victory with a spectacular strike from the right that deceived Narazaki, who thought it was a cross meant for team-mates, only to see the ball loop over him before hitting the back of the net.

Al Ain (0-1) FC Seoul
Hosts Al Ain losed one nil to K-League champions FC Seoul in their opening AFC Champions League Group F match.

The visitors missed a good chance in the 10th minute when striker Mauricio Molina was left unmarked inside the box but the Colombian mis-hit his volley and let Al Ain off the hook.

Seconds later it was Seoul’s turn to breathe a sigh of relief when Omar Abdulrahman took advantage of a defensive lapse inside the box to bear down on goal but the young UAE star shot into the side netting with only keeper Kim Young-dae to beat.

The Seoul midfield, led by Uzbekistan skipper Server Djeparov and Brazilian Adilson (Adilson dos Santos), combined well to ensure the hosts were under not insignificant pressure.

Damjanovic struck in the 24th minute by cushioning a long pass and then fire home from close range and ensure the Koreans went in at the break a goal to the good.

UAE national team star Ali Al Wehaibi, who had a good game, was pushed by Seoul skipper Kim Dong-jin and the referee pointed to the spot.

Elias took his time and aimed low to the right of Korean keeper Kim but he pulled off a fine save to ensure Al Ain’s misery continued as FC Seoul were able to close out the game and get their 2011 AFC Champions League campaign off to a winning start.

Tianjin Teda 1-0 Jeju United
A second half strike by Yu Dabao’s was the clincher in a very tight contest between Tianjin Teda and Jeju United.

Jeju United from Korea Republic made their debut appearance and looked to dominate the game but were caught out by a classic counter-attack on the 55 minute mark by Tianjin Teda.

Jeju came close to the opener in the 16th minute when a chipped ball over the defence found Kim Eun-jung unmarked in the penalty box. Eun-jung volleyed the ball over with just the goalkeeper to beat.

Teda’s Yu went close in the seven minutes before the break. The powerful forward burst into the right side of the penalty area only to see his shot skid just wide of Kim Ho-jun’s right-hand post.

A minute later, Jeju’s Kim Eun-jung had his back to goal inside the Tianjin area and fed Santos but his shot was parried away for a corner by Yang Qipeng.

Yu was Tianjin’s liveliest player and opened the scoring in the 55th minute. Zhang Xhaobin broke free down the right and curled an inviting cross towards the near post. Jeju’s goalkeeper failed to intercept leaving Yu to hook the ball in from close range. Jeju tried to find a way back into the match but struggled to create any clear chances in the face of a well-organised Tianjin defence.

Gamba Osaka 5-1 Melbourne Victory
Gamba Osaka have come out firing in matchday 1 with a 5 – 1 thrashing of Melbourne Victory.

Gamba were unstoppable from the first whistle with 3 unanswered goals within the first 3 minutes.

Takuya Takei inflicted the first blow from the top of the box in the fourth minute, after star Japan international Yasuhito Endo’s corner was headed away.

Three minutes later, Muscat gave away a penalty, which was coolly slotted home by Gamba’s newly-signed Brazilian striker Adriano.

Then home side’s Lee Keun-Ho, who had earned the penalty, scored himself in the 11th minute, set up by an excellent Adriano cross.

Victory began to show signs of creating a contest late in the first half. Thompson earned a penalty in the 22 minute, which was put away by Muscat. Whilst Melbourne’s Allsopp, Kruse and Thompson began to cause some trouble, while a slightly more defensive formation, after a 15th minute substitution, also helped.

With a touch more luck, Victory could have been within striking distance at the break. An Allsopp shot caught the wrong side of the left post, after a nice turn set-up from Thompson, in the 36th minute.

Minutes later, a Rodrigo Vargas headed goal was disallowed, when he was ruled off-side.

Gamba showed its class in the second half, making it 4 – 1 and beyond Victory’s reach, when Adriano set up Takahiro Futagawa, before substitute Kim Seung Yong made it 5 – 1 with a header  in stoppage-time.

Victory coach Ernie Merrick said there were no excuses for his side’s performance and nothing positive to take from the match, with the game effectively over after Gamba’s opening salvo.

“We were just a bit overwhelmed at the start, they came out all guns blazing, we took a backward step and they just buzzed around and took their chances when they came,” Merrick said.

“But to concede a goal that early from a corner kick and just behind it a penalty kick, that is just soul-destroying.”

FT – AL ITTIHAD (KSA) v PIROOZI ATHLETIC (IRN) (3 – 1)

FT – SYDNEY FC (AUS) v SUWON SAMSUNG BLUEWINGS (KOR) (0 – 0)

FT – CEREZO OSAKA (JPN) v AREMA INDONESIA (IDN) (2- 1)

FT – JEONBUK HYUNDAI MOTORS (KOR) v SHANDONG LUNENG FC (CHN) (1 -0)

FT – SHANGHAI SHENHUA (CHN) v KASHIMA ANTLERS (JPN) (0 – 0)

FT – AL WAHDA (UAE) v BUNYODKOR (UZB) (1 – 1)

FT – AL RAYYAN (QAT) v AL SHABAB (KSA) (1 – 1)

FT – ZOBAHAN (IRN) v EMIRATES (UAE) (2 – 1)

FT – AL AIN (UAE) v FC SEOUL (KOR) (0 – 1)

FT – AL HILAL (KSA) v FOOLAD MOBAREKEH SEPAHAN (IRN) (1 – 2)

FT – HANGZHOU GREENTOWN (CHN) v NAGOYA GRAMPUS (JPN) (2 – 0)

FT – PAKHTAKOR (UZB) v AL NASSR (KSA) (2 – 2)

FT – JEJU UNITED (KOR) v TIANJIN TEDA (CHN) ( 0 – 1)

FT – GAMBA OSAKA (JPN) v MELBOURNE VICTORY (AUS) (5 – 1)

FT – AL JAZIRA (UAE) v AL GHARAFA (QAT) (0 – 0)

FT – ESTEGHLAL (IRN) v AL SADD (QAT) (1 – 1)

Today we move on to Group F and the East of the AFC Asian Champions League 2011.

Group F is made up of the following teams:

• FC Seoul (Kor)
• Hangzhou Greentown (Chn)
• Nagoya Grampus (Jpn)
• Winner East

FC Seoul
Winners of the 2010 J League, this is likely Japan’s best hope for 2011 ACL Champions League. Coming off the winter off season all of the J League teams will be slightly rusty but the professionalism of the J League will ensure that each team will be ready for a new domestic and ACL season. Given a J league team hasn’t won the tournament for a few years, pressure will be on to at least have a J League team into the final for 2011.

Hangzhou Greentown
Hangzhou finished 4th in the 2010 Chinese Super League, only 2 points behind second on a very competitive and close season, Their 4th finish included 13 wins, 9 draws and 8 loses. Hangzhou didn’t compete in the 2010 ACL competitions so will be looking to make the most of this opportunity. With Nagoya and FC Seoul in the same Group Hangzhou has it’s work cut out for it to make it through the group stage.

Nagoya Grampus
Nagoya were clearly the best team in Japan in 2010 winning Division 1 of the J League by 10 points, with 18 wins, 9 draws and only 3 losses. Even though they didn’t compete in the 2010 ACL, I would consider them a real threat this year, particularly on last year’s form. Group F is a tough group containing both the K and J league champions, so clearly a top 2 position is available when you consider that Hangzhou finished 4th domestically last year. Should make for some very tight home and away matches.

Today we move on to Group E and the East of the AFC Asian Champions League 2011.

Group E is made up of the following teams:

• Gamba Osaka (Jap)
• Jeju United (Kor)
• Melbourne Victory (Aus)
• Tianjin Teda (Chn)

Gamba Osaka
A favourite as always to progress into the knockout stages of the tournament. Gamba are a regular in the ACL Champions League. 2011 Division 1 season is yet to start (due 5/3) and so teams will have been in preseason and playing practice games coming into the group stages of the ACL Champions League. Match fitness might be an issue for some of the players. Gamba had a very successful 2010, achieving 2nd position. In 2010 ACL they were knockout by eventual winners Seongnam in the first knockout round. This is however a very tough group but you would expect Gamba to be a serious contender for 1st place n Group E.

Jeju United
Jeju have been in pre-season so no up to date performance information to work with. Jeju placed 2nd last year with only 3 points behind FC Seoul. Seventeen wins, eight draws and three loses saw them enter the ACL this season. Sitting 3rd at the moment in the Zain Saudi Professional League with 9 wins, 4 draws and 3 loses. Jeju didn’t compete in the 2010 season so we can’t draw on this as a predictor for this year. Given the overall performance of K League teams in this tournament and last year’s form, Jeju will be a force to reckon with this year.

Melbourne Victory
Melbourne had a great 2010 and are finishing 2011 with an appearance in the finals (playing tonight’s knockout round). With the season ending shortly in Australia, Melbourne will be weary but fit for the ACL tournament, this their 3rd attempt to progress past the Group stage. They have always had a strong team, but not enough scoring ability in this tournament to win the games they need to at home. Maybe 2011 will be different, experience will assist but this is not an easy group. Aiming for 2nd place will be the plan.

Tianjin Teda
Chinese Super League is also in off season but due to start shortly. Tianjin managed second in 2010 with 13 wins,11 draws and 6 loses. No 2010 ACL experience doesn’t give us much to work with in 2011 but Tianjin had a very strong domestic result last year and will be building for 2011 with a hope of making a real go of their ACL opportunity. This is a tough group with Gamba the only success story of the 4 teams. Jeju, Melbourne and Tianjin all have a great opportunity to fight for 2nd place.

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

Group D is made up of the following teams:

• AL RAYYAN (QAT)
• AL SHABAB (KSA)
• EMIRATES (UAE)
• ZOBAHAN (IRN)

Al Rayyan
A new comer to the AFC Champions League. Al Rayyan is sitting mid table in the Qatar Stars League with 6 wins, 3 loses and 4 draws so far. This looks like their first ever appearance in the AFC Champions League and it could be a rude awakening to the competitiveness of the competition for them. This will be one of the hardest groups in the western half of the competition. Being their first try I can’t see them progressing past the Group stage.

Al Shabab
Sitting 3rd at the moment in the Zain Saudi Professional League with 9 wins, 4 draws and 3 loses, Al Shabab are having a good 2010/11 season. Last year Al Shabab topped Group C in the AFC Champions League with 3 wins and where knocked out in the Quarter Finals 1 – 0 by Jeonbuk. Al Shabab will be a favourite with Group D this year and their strong domestic season will give them the confidence to make it through the groups stage.

Emirates
Another new comer to the AFC Champions League. Emirates Club qualified by winning the 2010 Etisalat Super Cup 3 – 1 against Al Wahda. Given their lack of domestic credibility (not competing in the Pro League) I can’t see them offering much in terms of competition particularly with the likes of Al Shabab and Zobahan.

Zobahan
Along with Al habab, Zobahan are favourites for this group and with their leading position in the domestic Persian Championship this team will be hard to beat. Leading the domestic competition with 13 wins the only issue I see for them is game fatigue. In last year’s AFC Champions League they finished 2nd losing the final to Korea’s Seongnam. Zobahan is one of the most successful west asian teams and will do really well again this year.