Esteghlal ended their 2011 AFC Champions league campaign with a 2-1 victory over Al Nassr at the Azadi Stadium, but it was not sufficient to seal a place in the last 16 as they lost out to their Saudi opponents on goal difference.
Badar Al Motawa opened the scoring on the hour mark before Farhad Majidi in the 62nd and Hawar Mulla Mohammed in the 89th minutes turned the match around for Esteghlal.
In a first half low on excitement, the visitors created the first chance in the 16th minute from a …

Inaugural champions Al Ain signed off their 2011 AFC Champions League campaign with a 3-1 win over Japan’s Nagoya Grampus, a result ended the visitors’ hopes of topping Group F.
With Grampus and Seoul FC level on 10 points before the game, the Japanese were keen to win and seal a home tie in the last 16 after the Koreans could only draw at Hangzhou Greentown.
But a young Al Ain side led 2-0 at the break and then completed a fine 3-1 win to lift their struggling form and morale ahead …

Sepahan rallied from a goal down to post an emphatic 4-1 victory over Al Jazira and top 2011 AFC Champions League Group A on Wednesday.
Brazilian Bare opened the scoring for the hosts after 14 minutes but Javad Kazemian got Sepahan level just after the half-hour mark before the visitors turned the screw after the break.
Senegal’s Ibrahima Toure scored twice and Reza Enayati completed the 4-1 win for the Iranian champions at the Mohammad Bin Zayed Stadium that seals top spot regardless of Al Hilal’s result against Al Gharafa.
Al Jazira coach …

Al Hilal secured their place in the last 16 of the 2011 AFC Champions League with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Al Gharafa at King Fahd International Stadium.
Needing just a point to go through, second-half goals from Yasser Al Qahtani and Ahmed Al Fraidi were enough to see off the Qataris in the Group A encounter and book a trip to Jeddah rivals Al Ittihad in the last 16.
Younis Mahmoud battled manfully for Al Gharafa but he ploughed a lonely furrow up front as the Qataris were unable to create …

Round of 16 is a knockout round. It is a one round playoff (no second leg).
These are the teams at the moment. The draw hasn’t been made but will be shortly.
SEPAHAN (IRN), AL HILAL (KSA), AL SADD (QAT), AL NASSR (KSA), AL ITTIHAD (KSA), BUNYODKOR (UZB), ZOBAHAN (IRN), AL SHABAB (KSA), GAMBA OSAKA (JPN), TIANJIN TEDA (CHN), FC SEOUL (KOR), NAGOYA GRAMPUS (JPN), JEONBUK MOTORS (KOR), CEREZO OSAKA (JPN), SUWON SAMSUNG BLUEWINGS (KOR), KASHIMA ANTLERS (JPN)

Second-half strikes by young defender Aldbulghafoor Murad and substitute Ahmed Alaa Tuesday helped Al Rayyan to a 2-0 win over Emirates at Al Rayyan Stadium, a result that ended the UAE side’s hopes of reaching the last 16 of the 2011 AFC Champions League.
Emirates needed to beat the hosts and hope Zob Ahan could do them a favour against Al Shabab in Iran but two goals in the final quarter of an hour put paid to their aspirations.
Al Rayyan – who fielded a side missing several first-team regulars – finished …

Suwon Samsung Bluewings won Group H of 2011 AFC Champions League as a convincing 3-0 victory over Shanghai Shenhua at Shanghai Hongkou Stadium saw them edge out Kashima Antlers on goals scored.
Ha tae-gyun struck twice as he headed the visitors in front after 12 minutes before netting the second 10 minutes after the break. Shin Se-gye added a third goal two minutes before time as the K-League side walked away with all three points.
Xin Feng came close to an opener five minutes from the start, connecting with Zheng Wei’s free-kick …

Rodrigo Pimpao set Cerezo Osaka on their way to a crushing 4-0 victory as they reached the last 16 of the AFC Champions League at the expense of Shandong Luneng.
The Japanese side needed just to avoid defeat to secure a runners-up finish behind Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in Group G, but progressed in style with a home win at the Nagai Stadium.
Rodrigo netted the opening goal in the 39th minute before Hiroshi Kiyotake, Takashi Inui and substitute midfielder Shu Kurata scored in the second-half.
Chinese Super League side Shandong began positively, knowing …

Kashima Antlers came from a goal down to overcome Sydney FC 2-1 at the National Stadium in Tokyo.
Matthew Jurman headed Sydney into a first-half lead but Kashima fought back after the break and goals from Yuya Osako and Takuya Nozawa sealed their third win in this season’s competition.
Sydney had a good chance to take the lead after just two minutes when Bruno Cazarine found space in the box but keeper Hitoshi Sogahata did well to deny the forward’s low shot with an outstretched leg.
Nick Carle was then off target when …

A hat-trick from Krunoslav Lovrek helped Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors ease to a 6-0 win over Arema Indonesia at Jeonju World Cup Stadium to ensure that the hosts progressed to the last 16 of the 2011 AFC Champions League as Group G winners.
The Croatian scored inside the first minute put the K-League leaders on their way against their Indonesian opponents and from then it was a question of how many the Korea Republic team would score.
Kim Dong-chan added a second shortly after and Jung Sung-hoon made it three before two more …

FT – HANGZHOU GREENTOWN (CHN) v FC SEOUL (KOR) (1 – 1)
FT – PAKHTAKOR (UZB) v AL SADD (QAT) (1 – 1)
FT – GAMBA OSAKA (JPN) v TIANJIN TEDA (CHN) (2 – 0)
FT – JEJU UNITED (KOR) v MELB VICTORY (AUS) (1 – 1)
FT – AL AIN (UAE) v NAGOYA GRAMPUS (JPN) (3 – 1)
FT – AL JAZIRA (UAE) v SEPAHAN (IRN) (1 – 4)
FT – AL HILAL (KSA) v AL GHARAFA (QAT) (2 – 0)
FT – ESTEGHLAL (IRN) v AL NASSR (KSA) (2 – 1)

FT – SHANGHAI SHENHUA (CHN) v SUWON SAMSUNG BLUEWINGS (KOR) (0 – 3)
FT – CEREZO OSAKA (JPN) v SHANDONG LUNENG FC (CHN) (4 – 0)
FT – JEONBUK HYUNDAI MOTORS (KOR) v AREMA MALANG (IDN) (6 – 0)
FT – KASHIMA ANTLERS (JPN) v SYDNEY FC (AUS) (2 – 1)
FT – AL WAHDA (UAE) v PIROOZI ATHLETIC (IRN) (2 – 0)
FT – AL ITTIHAD (KSA) v BUNYODKOR (UZB) (1 – 1)
FT – AL RAYYAN (QAT) v EMIRATES (UAE) (2 – 0)
FT – ZOBAHAN (IRN) v AL SHABAB (KSA) (0 – 1)

Group F had already been decided before today’s play, with Kashima Antlers and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors having already qualified for the second round. The two met today to settle who would qualify in top spot and meet Pohang Steelers in the knockout stage.
Kashima Antlers 2–1 Jeonbuk FC
Kashima boss Oswaldo Oliveira signaled his objective in the pre-match press conference that his team was not looking for a draw, despite only needing not to lose to earn the all important advantage of “playing at home next round.”
The Antlers went 2 – 0 …

Denilson made all the difference for Luiz Felipe Scolari’s Bunyodkor, ensuring his side made it into the knockout stages.
The Uzbek champions need to win and hope that Zob Ahan also won in order to progress. It turned out that way and now they will meet Saudi champs Al-Hilal. Zob Ahan’s win sees them qualify as group winners to set-up an all Iranian clash with Mes Kerman.
Bunyodkor 4-1 Al-Wehda
Rivaldo opened the scoring 28 minutes in, as Wehda left him un-marked inside the box to head home Djeparov’s cross. Denilson doubled their …

Chinese champions Beijing Guoan progressed into the second round thanks to 2-0 victory over Kawasaki Frontale. With Korea’s Seongnam Ilhwa already winning the group, Fontale had set up a winner-takes-all clash against Guoan.
Beijing Guoan 2-0 Kawasaki Frontale
Frontale needed a win to make it into the 2nd round of the ACL for the 3rd successive year. Goals either side of halt-time from Joel Griffiths and Valdo ensured the Japanese would make an early exit.
Griffith’s goal was created following a defensive error by Yusuke Tasaka. The Australian showed a cool head inside …

A last minute Naser Kamel winner for Al-Gharafa saw the The Cheetahs clinch top spot in Group A. Matchday 6 was a contest about who would win top spot.
Al-Jazira 2–1 Esteghlal
UAE League side Al-Jazira is one of the weakest teams in the ACL based on results over the past 2 seasons. However with few expecting them to do much against group leaders Esteghlal, the stepped up to the mark and broke Esteghlal’s unbeaten record.
The visitors took an expected lead five minutes before half-time. Hossein Kazemi’s mazy run ended with Farhad …

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 …

Mes Kerman 3–1 Al Hilal
Iranian side Mes Kerman have have lost all three away games this ACL season. However, their home form has been great. With Hilal already qualified as group winners, Mes seemed certain to take all three points, they would just have to hope that was enough.
Brazilian Edinho got Mes off to the perfect start just two minutes in, racing down the left before driving a low strike across Hilal ‘keeper Al Daeyea. The lead was however surrendered just six minutes after the restart with a close range …

Top spot was all that was left to fight for in Group G.
Suwon Bluewings 6–2 Singapore Armed Forces
Singapore took a shock lead after just five minutes, controlling brilliantly before curling a long rage shot past Lee Woon-jae. Six minutes later however, Suwon equalised through Jose Mota. They then took the lead through Lee Hyun-jin, who was first to react to a rebound. Kwak Hee-ju then headed home a set piece on the half-hour mark to make it 3-1. Mota grabbed his second seven minutes before the break.
Second half substitute Yeom …

Adelaide United has claimed top spot in Group H despite going down 1-0 to Shandong Luneng at Hindmarsh stadium in the final group game of the Asian Champions League.
A second-half goal to Lei Wei was enough for the the Chinese Super League side to secure the win, but Sanfreece’s 4-3 win over Pohang Steelers in Japan denied the current holder the chance to secure top billing in Group H.

In the ACL 2010, five spots remain open while many of those who have already qualified, are looking to top their group in order to earn home advantage for the R16.