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 …

Nasaf 0-1 Al Rayyan
Al Rayyan claimed their first ever away win in the AFC Champions League with a 1-0 victory at Nasaf boosting their chances of an appearance in the knockout phase.
The victory was Al Rayyan’s second in a row against the Uzbek club in Group A following their 3-1 win in Doha two weeks ago and it moved them up to second with six points, four behind group leaders Al Jazira and one ahead of Esteghlal with two games to play.
Nasaf have only one point from four games and …

Nagoya Grampus 0-0 Tianjin Teda
Keiji Tamada’s missed penalty cost Nagaoya Grampus top spot in Group G of the 2012 AFC Champions League after a 0-0 draw with Chinese Super League side Tianjin Teda.
Tamada, a member of Japan’s AFC Asian Cup winning squad back in 2004, slid the ball wide of goal in the 59th minute after his side had been awarded a penalty after Yuki Maki had been hauled down inside the area.
The draw sees Nagoya drop to second in Group G, behind Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma on goal difference after …

Adelaide United 1-0 Pohang Steelers
Australia’s Adelaide United scored in the final minutes of the game to move clear at the top of Group E of the AFC Champions League with a 1-0 win over Korea Republic’s Pohang Steelers.
Whilst Adelaide had lost their first encounter two weeks ago in Korea, Adelaide goalkeeper Eugene Galekovic was at his best this time round with a superb save to push away No Byung-jun’s downward header in the early stages of the game.
With No’s header the only real chance of a tight opening 45 minutes, …

Games for 18 April 2012
BUNYODKOR (UZB) v GAMBA OSAKA (JPN) (3- 2) (FT)
ADELAIDE UNITED (AUS) v POHANG STEELERS (KOR) (1 – 0) (FT)
NAGOYA GRAMPUS (JPN) v TIANJIN TEDA (CHN) (0 – 0) (FT)
SEONGNAM CHUNMA (KOR) v CENTRAL COAST (AUS) (5 – 0) (FT)
NASAF (UZB) v AL RAYYAN (QAT) (0 – 1) (FT)
AL JAZIRA (UAE) v ESTEGHLAL (IRN) (1 – 1) (FT)
LEKHWIYA (QAT) v SEPAHAN (IRN) (1 – 0) (FT)
AL AHLI (KSA) v AL NASR (UAE) (3 – 1) (FT)

Al Arabi 0-1 Pakhtakor
Temurkhuja Abdukholiqov capitalised on a defensive error to score the only goal of the game as Pakhtakor boosted their hopes of qualifying for the knockout stage of the AFC Champions League with a 1-0 away win over pointless Al Arabi on Tuesday.
The Pakhtakor striker struck four minutes before half-time at the Grand Hamad Stadium following some calamitous defending by Ahmed Dad to give the Uzbek side their second consecutive win, which sent them up to second in Group B.
The visitors were reduced to 10 men with …

Piroozi 1-1 Al Gharafa
Lawrence Quaye fired in a stunning stoppage-time equaliser as 10-man Al Gharafa prevented Piroozi from clinching a spot in the last 16 of the AFC Champions League with a 1-1 draw on Tuesday.
The Iranian side had appeared to be headed for a victory that would have sent them through to the knockout round with two games to spare when Ali Karimi scored with a deflected shot six minutes from time.
But despite being a player down for the final 19 minutes after the dismissal of their Iranian striker …

Brisbane Roar 1-2 Ulsan Hyundai
Brisbane: A penalty from captain Kwak Tae-hwi with 17 minutes remaining earned Ulsan Hyundai a 2-1 win over A-League Grand Finalists Brisbane Roar on Tuesday to hand the K-League side a major boost in their bid to qualify for the last 16 of the AFC Champions League.
Shane Stefanutto’s third goal as a professional midway through the first half had cancelled out Ulsan’s early opener from Colombian midfielder Julian Estiven Velez.
But after Bahrain defender Sayed Mohamed Adnan was adjudged to have upended Kang Min-soo inside the area, …

Games for 17 April 2012
BRISBANE ROAR (AUS) v ULSAN HYUNDAI (KOR) (1 – 2) (FT)
JEONBUK HYUNDAI MOTORS (KOR) v BURIRAM UNITED (THA) (3 – 2) (FT)
FC TOKYO v BEIJING GUOAN (CHN) (3 – 0) (FT)
GUANGZHOU EVERGRE (CHN) v KASHIWA REYSOL (JPN) (3 – 1) (FT)
BANIYAS (UAE) v AL ITTIHAD (KSA) (0 – 0) (FT)
AL ARABI (QAT) v PAKHTAKOR (UZB) (0 – 1) (FT)
AL HILAL (KSA) v AL SHABAB AL ARABI (UAE) (2 – 2 ) (FT)
PIROOZI ATHLETIC (IRN) v AL GHARAFA (QAT) (1 – 1) (FT)

Brazilian forward Adriano scored twice to highlight Gamba Osaka’s 3-1 win over Jeju United, helping the J.League side climb to second in Group E of the 2011 AFC Champions League at Expo ’70 Stadium in Osaka.

A late strike from Lee Dong-gook gave Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors a 1-0 win over Cerezo Osaka to put the Korea Republic team on top of Group G of the 2011 AFC Champions League.

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.

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

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

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

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.

Yuzo Tashiro’s goal saw Kashima Antlers rescue a 1-1 draw with Suwon Samsung Bluewings in Group H of the 2011 AFC Champions League at the National Stadium in Tokyo.

Suwon went ahead in the 48th minute through Yeom Ki-hoon’s free-kick but Tashiro leveled for Kashima in the 55th minute.

Goals from Mu Kanazaki and Kensuke Nagai gave Nagoya Grampus a 2-0 win at FC Seoul to put the Japanese champions on top of Group F in the 2011 AFC Champions League.

After Kanazaki’s first-half opener, the Korea Republic title-holders threw everything at the visitors for much of an entertaining match but a defensive blunder late in the game allowed Nagai to make sure of a valuable three points.

A solitary goal from Esmaeil Farhadi gave Zob Ahan a 1-0 win over Al Rayyan at the Foolad Shahr Stadium to send last season’s runners-up top of 2011 AFC Champions League Group D and on the verge of a place in the last 16.

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

An excellent last-gasp winner from Mark Bridge kept Sydney FC’s hopes of reaching the knockout stage of the 2011 AFC Champions League well and truly alive after they secured a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Shanghai Shenhua at Shanghai Hongkou Stadium.