Al Rayyan 3-4 Al Jazira

Brazilian forward Ricardo Oliveira scored all four of Al Jazira’s goals as the United Arab Emirates Pro League side claimed their fifth victory in six Group A matches with a lively 4-3 win over Al Rayyan of Qatar on Wednesday.

Oliveira entered the match at the Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium as the leading scorer in the AFC Champions League with six goals after he had bagged a hat-trick in Al Jazira’s 4-1 thrashing of Nasaf two weeks ago. And the Brazilian raised his tally in the competition to an impressive 10 goals after scoring twice in each half in Doha.

Al Rayyan responded with goals by Leandro Leandro Montera da Silva), Rodrigo Tabata and Ahmed Al Aaeldin in a match that had little bearing on the final outcome of the group after Iranian side Esteghlal had secured second spot behind Al Jazira with a 2-0 win at Nasaf in an earlier game.

Group winners Al Jazira will host Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli next Tuesday while Esteghlal will travel to Esfahan to face Sepahan in an all-Iranian last 16 tie.

Oliveira has been prolific for Al Jazira throughout the group stage and the Brazilian took only eight minutes to add to his tally when he met Khamis Esmaeel’s cross from the right with a solid diving header that gave Al Rayyan goalkeeper Oumar Barry no chance.

The Brazilian then made it 2-0 in the 33rd minute after gathering in a long pass on the left flank and cutting into the Al Rayyan box before firing in a shot that went between the legs of Cho Yong-hyung and found the bottom left corner of the net.

And he completed his hat-trick in the 67th minute by stretching out his boot to turn in Sultan Al Menhali’s inviting cross from the right.

That goal sparked off a frantic spell that produced five goals in the final 23 minutes.

Al Jazira goalkeeper Khalid Eisa had been excellent on his AFC Champions League debut and he had made a brilliant save with his feet to deny Ahmed Al Aaeldin in the 71st minute. But the 22-year-old was finally beaten in the 73rd minute when Tabata launched a quickly-taken free-kick into the left corner of the net.

Leandro narrowed the deficit to 3-2 four minutes later with a fine right-footed strike from 25 metres that flew into the right corner of the net.

Al Rayyan very nearly equalised when Tabata’s free-kick was tipped by Eisa against his crossbar in the 86th minutes. But Oliveira restored his side’s two-goal cushion shortly afterwards when he rifled home a shot from 15 metres after Abdulraheem Jumaa had knocked down the ball for him in the box.

There was still time though for one more goal for the hosts as Tabata cut the ball back for Al Aeldin to lash a shot into the far corner of the net in stoppage time.

Al Rayyan coach Diego Aquirre felt that his side were unfocussed after learning that Esteghlal were leading by two goals against Nasaf in the other Group A match.

Nasaf 0-2 Esteghlal

Karshi: Esteghlal set up a mouth-watering Round of 16 clash against Iranian league rivals Sepahan in the AFC Champions League after easing to a 2-0 win over Uzbek side Nasaf in their final Group A match on Wednesday.

Goran Jerkovic put the visitors ahead after only nine minutes and Mojtaba Jabari added a second from the penalty spot early in the second half to put the Tehran giants in control at Karshi Stadium.

The only sour note for Esteghlal was the dismissal of their captain, Mehdei Amirabadi, midway through the second half after he received his second booking of the match.

Nasaf, the reigning AFC Cup champions, had only managed a single point from their first five games in Group A. But the Uzbek side started very brightly and should have taken the lead after eight minutes when Kenja Turaev cut inside Javad Shirzadeh on the right of the Esteghal and unleashed a low shot that beat goalkeeper Mehdi Rahmati but came back off the far post.

The Iranian side took full advantage of the let-off by taking the lead just a minute later. A splendid defence-splitting pass by Khosro Heydari sent Jerkovic clear in the right channel and the French striker fired the ball across Murotjon Zukhorov and just inside the far post.

Nasaf responded with a period of sustained pressure on the Esteghlal goal and were only denied an equaliser by the excellent form of Rahmati, who made good saves to deny Turaev, Fozil Musaev and Ilhom Yusonov before half-time.

But any hopes that the Uzbek side had of getting back into the game were dashed five minutes after the interval when Jahongir Jiyamuradov handled a cross by Heydari and the visitors were awarded a penalty. Jabari was unerring with the spot kick, firing it straight down the middle as Zukhorov dived to his right.

Arash Borhani should have added a third in the 62nd minute when he blazed over from 20 metres after the ball had been unselfishly cut back to him by Heydari.

Esteghlal comfortably hung on to their advantage in the remaining minutes despite losing Amirabadi in the 68th minute. Having already been booked, the Esteghlal skipper lunged in on Maksud Karimov after misplaying the ball and was promptly given his marching orders.

As a result of his red card, Amirabadi will miss next Tuesday’s match against Sepahan in Esfahan. It will be only the second all-Iranian clash in the competition following the Round of 16 match in 2010 between Zob Ahan and Mes Kerman which Zob Ahan won 2-1. And Esteghlal will be gunning for revenge against Sepahan after the Esfahan side pipped the Blues to the Iranian league title by a single point last week.

Baniyas 2-0 Pakhtakor

AFC Champions League debutants Baniyas secured a spot in the Round of 16 after downing tournament ever-presents Pakhtakor 2-0 on Wednesday to take second spot in Group B. Senegalese forward Andre Senghor fired Baniyas ahead after 13 minutes and substitute Amer Abdulrahman added a second against the Uzbek club after the interval to help the UAE Pro League side to join group winners Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia in the knockout rounds.

Baniyas went into the match with a one-point edge over the visiting side following their 4-0 drubbing of Al Arabi in Doha two weeks ago.

And they made an excellent start at the Baniyas Club Stadium, taking the lead after only 13 minutes when Senghor chested down Fawzi Bashir’s cross from the left before firing a powerful shot past Pakhtakor goalkeeper Temur Juraev.

The visitors needed a win to progress but they struggled to create any real opportunities before they fell two goals behind in the 71st minute

Spanish midfielder Francisco Yeste initiated a quick counter attack and brought the ball in from the right flank before sending a low cross into the path of Abdulrahman, who tapped the ball into the net from close range.

Pakhtakor have appeared in all 10 editions of the AFC Champions League but they have only progressed beyond the group stage on four occasions.

Al Ittihad 3-2 Al Arabi

Mohammed Faouzi scored deep into stoppage time as Al Ittihad rounded off their Group B campaign by coming from behind twice to beat Al Arabi 3-2 in Jeddah on Wednesday.

Boualem Khoukhi struck twice for the Qatari club in the first half, either side of Hosni Abdrabou’s response for the home side.

But Fabrice Nguessi-Ondama netted Al Ittihad’s second equaliser in the 64th minute before Faouzi secured the Saudi club’s fifth win in six matches right at the end of the game.

It was the sixth consecutive loss for the Qatari side and tempers boiled over after the final whistle when Al Arabi goalkeeper Masoud Zeraei was shown a red card for taking his protests too far after he argued that he been fouled in the build-up to Nguessi-Ondama’s equaliser.

Al Ittihad had already sealed top spot in the group ahead of the match but the fans at the Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium were stunned into silence when Khoukhi fired the visitors ahead after nine minutes with a brilliantly-struck free-kick that flew past goalkeeper Mabrouk Zaid into the left corner of the net.

Abdrabou levelled the score on the half-hour mark when he was found unmarked on a cross from the left and took his time before unleashing a powerful right-footed shot past Zeraei.

But in stoppage time at the end of the first half, a defensive error by Redha Takar allowed the visitors to regain the lead. He failed to clear a cross from the right and Khoukhi took full advantage to fire a powerful volley past Zaid.

Al Ittihad got back on level terms in the 64th minute with a controversial goal by Nguessi-Ondama. Zeraei appeared to be fouled as he tried to clear a corner from the left. But as he went down clutching his head, the referee allowed play to go on and Saudi Khariri nodded the ball back towards Nguessi-Ondama, who half-volleyed the ball into the net.

Despite that goal, Al Arabi looked to have done enough to avoid becoming the first team since 2007 to lose all six group games in the AFC Champions League. But in the third minute of stoppage time, Faouzi received a pass on the edge of the Al Arabi box and managed to get just enough on his shot to send it past Zeraei in the far corner of the net.

Raul Caneda maintained his unbeaten record as coach of Al Ittihad and he lauded his players for their battling performance.

Al Arabi assistant coach Abdelaziz Bennij was left to rue yet another defeat by his side.

Gamba Osaka 0-2 Adelaide United

Sergio van Dijk came off the bench to score his first goal of the campaign as Australia’s Adelaide United beat Gamba Osaka 2-0 on Wednesday to win Group E and set-up a meeting with Nagoya Grampus in the last 16 of the AFC Champions League.
Van Dijk, making his fourth substitute appearance of the campaign, broke the deadlock at Expo ’70 Stadium five minutes after the hour mark before an own-goal from Gamba substitute Akihiro Sato with two minutes remaining ensured Adelaide completed the double over the side they lost to in the 2008 final.

With their third appearance in the last 16 already assured before kick-off against a Gamba side who had no chance of progressing, the win means Adelaide will entertain Group G runners-up Nagoya at Hindmarsh Stadium on May 29 for a place in the quarter-finals.

Just five minutes after coming off the bench in place of midfielder Fabian Barbiero, Van Dijk rounded off a flowing Adelaide move as the 2011 A-League Golden Boot winner met Daniel Mullen’s inviting front post cross and his first-time volley gave Gamba goalkeeper Yosuke Fujigaya little chance.

And Gamba’s disappointing campaign was summed up with two minutes remaining as substitute Sato could only divert a near post corner from Cassio (Cássio José de Abreu Oliveira) into his own net.

Bunyodkor 1-0 Pohang Steelers

Uzbekistan champions Bunyodkor advanced to the last 16 of the AFC Champions League for the fifth consecutive season ahead of former champions Pohang Steelers after Anvar Gafurov’s header at the start of the second half proved the difference between the two sides on Wednesday.

Bunyodkor knew they had to claim a third win of the campaign to overhaul Pohang’s two-point advantage in Group E and Gafurov’s 48th minute goal at Jar Stadium was enough to end the hopes of the three-time Asian champions.

And after securing a second-place finish behind Australia’s Adelaide United in Group E, Bunyodkor will face 2010 AFC Champions League winners Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma in the one-off Round of 16 on May 29 after the K-League side won Group G with an unbeaten record.

With victory the only option, the home side made a bright start and were unlucky not to be ahead after 31 minutes as Bunyodkor captain Victor Karpenko rattled Shin Hwa-yong’s crossbar with a left-footed strike.

And four minutes before half-time Bunyodkor again beat Shin but not the woodwork as Kamoliddin Murzoev’s header from Akmal Shorakhmedov’s cross came back off the crossbar to leave the sides level at the break and Pohang on course for the last 16 for the third time in four years.

But just three minutes after the restart Bunyodkor finally found the crucial breakthrough as Shorakhmedov combined with Jan Kozak and the Slovak midfielder crossed for Gafurov to direct his header into the opposite corner.

Pohang stepped up the pressure in the second half in search of the goal to get themselves back into the contest and the last 16, but Bunyodkor’s rearguard stood firm.

Brisbane Roar 1-1 Beijing Guoan

A-League champions Brisbane Roar have bowed out of the 2012 AFC Champions League tournament with a fripustrating 1-1 draw with Beijing Guoan.

Brisbane took a deserved lead with just 15 minutes on the clock when Berisha finished off a fine move that saw Mitch Nichols feed the impressive Kofi Danning and the Albanian striker was left to slide the ball home.

Danning was causing the Beijing defence numerous problems throughout the first 25 minutes and it was through the Ghana-born winger that Brisbane’s greatest threat existed.

Danning and Berisha linked up again just moments after the opener only the striker put the ball wide of the target on this occasion. Soon after, Danning headed meekly across the face of goal when he should have forced a save out of Bai Xiaolei.

Brisbane were made to pay for not taking more from their period in the ascendancy when, in the 24th minute, Beijing pulled level thanks to a rasping effort from Li Hanbo.

Zhang Xizhe laid the ball off to Shao Jiaye and the former 1860 Munich midfielder set up Li to thump home a right-footed effort that flew across the face of the Brisbane goal and dipped into the goal.

Despite the Beijing equaliser, the home side maintained the upper hand but Vidosic’s side was unable to find the blow that would give them all three points, with Berisha hitting the post in the dying seconds of the game to complete a frustrating evening for the A-League side.

Ulsan Hyundai 1-0 FC Tokyo

Ulsan Hyundai have made it into the round of 16 of the AFC Champions League as Group F after a 1-0 win over FC Tokyo.

Needing just a draw to claim top spot ahead of Ulsan having posted an unbeaten record after five games, FC Tokyo came within inches of opening the scoring after 13 minutes as Kazuma Watanabe struck the foot of the Ulsan post from the edge of the area with goalkeeper Kim Young-kwang beaten.

The visitors continued to dominate and Ulsan goalkeeper Kim Young-kwang was forced to push a rising strike from Tatsuya Yazawa over the crossbar midway through the first half before Jang Hyun-soo headed wide from the resulting corner.

But the home side opened the scoring against the run of play eight minutes before half-time when Kang Min-soo followed up after a diving header from Maranaho (Luis Carlos dos Santos Martins) had crashed into the crossbar after Kim Seung-youg’s free-kick had been headed back across the face of goal by captain Kwak Tae-hwi.

FC Tokyo still had a chance to claim the point they needed, but the visitors again hit the Ulsan woodwork with two minutes remaining as substitute Yohei Kajiyama saw his low skipping strike from the edge of the area come back off the post with Kim Young-kwang rooted to the spot.

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)

Tianjin Teda 0-3 Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma

Tianjin: Serbian striker Vladimir Jovancic scored twice in the second half as 2010 AFC Champions League winners Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma qualified for the last 16 of the 2012 edition as Group G winners after beating China’s Tianjin Teda 3-0 on Tuesday.

Exciting Korea Republic youngster Yoon Bit-garam opened the scoring for the Korean FA Cup winners after 32 minutes at Tianjin Teda Stadium before Serbian frontman Jovancic doubled Seongnam’s lead at the start of the second half.

And with Jovancic’s penalty midway through the second half securing unbeaten Seongnam a second win of the campaign, Shin Tae-yong’s side edged out Nagoya Grampus on goal difference to earn a home tie with the runner-up from Group E on May 29.

Seongnam only required a point to secure qualification but needed all three to guarantee top spot and opened the scoring in spectacular fashion 13 minutes before the break as Yoon curled home from the edge of the area after his initial corner had only been partially cleared.

The visitors added a second just three minutes into the second half as Jovancic headed home his second goal of the campaign from Lee Hyun-ho’s cross.

And with 21 minutes remaining Jovancic picked himself up after being fouled by Tianjin defender He Yang inside the area to add Seongnam’s third from the penalty spot.

Nagoya Grampus 3 – 0 Central Coast Mariners

Central Coast Mariners’ AFC Champions League campaign is over after a 3-0 away loss to Nagoya Grampus on Tuesday night.

The Mariners needed a win to advance to the knockout stages of the tournament, but fell short after Japanese internationals Keiji Tamada and Jungo Fujimoto netted in the first-half, before Marcus Tulio Tanaka’s late sealer.

The visitor showed promise throughout and perhaps should have made more of its early dominance of possession in each stanza.

Ultimately though, the A-League Premier was outclassed by its J.League counterpart, who started the match with six former or current Japan internationals.

One of those, 72-time capped Tamada, opened the scoring on 19 minutes with a free-kick from close range, Mariners goalkeeper Matt Ryan left frustrated by a glaring gap in his team’s defensive wall.

The visitor came close to restoring parity moments later when Patrick Zwaanswijk’s fierce free-kick was parried into the path of Michael McGlinchey, who forced a corner with his follow up.

Nagoya’s second goal was sheer class.

Fujimoto ran onto an expert through ball and produced an equally clinical chip, with Ryan bearing down, to double the host’s advantage.

Despite being short of match practice – having not played a competitive fixture in two weeks – the Mariners started the second-half in dynamic fashion.

Standout Central Coast midfielder Tom Rogic was twice denied in quick succession, first by defender Hayuma Tanaka’s last ditch tackle and second by the fingertips of Nagoya stopper Seigo Narazaki.

Rogic’s overall performance was a positive side note for the visitor, the 19-year-old producing another promising display well beyond his years.

Flamboyant defender Tanaka added a third for Nagoya with a close range header only minutes from time, ensuring that the Mariners’ attention would now turn to preparing for the 2012/13 A-League season.

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 0-2 Kashiwa Reysol
J.League champions Kashiwa Reysol qualified for the last 16 of the AFC Champions League as secon- half goals from Leandro Domingues and Junya Tanaka secured a 2-0 win over K-League counterparts Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors on Tuesday.
With last year’s beaten finalists Jeonbuk only needing a point to qualify from Group H, Brazilian midfielder Leandro Domingues (Leandro Domingues Barbosa) broke the deadlock for Kashiwa four minutes into the second half at Jeonju World Cup Stadium with his fourth goal of the campaign.

And just after the hour mark Tanaka followed up to tap home his third of the campaign from close range as AFC Champions League debutants Kashiwa completed the double over the K-League side to finish as runners-up in Group H behind Chinese Super League champions Guangzhou Evergrande, who edged out Thai treble winner Buriram United 2-1 thanks to Dario Conca’s stoppage-time penalty to end Jeonbuk’s hopes.

Following a cagey first half of few clear-cut chances, Leandro Domingues broke the deadlock four minutes into the second half as the Brazilian rifled home from a tight angle after Jeonbuk had failed to deal with a long ball forward.

And the visitors doubled their advantage two minutes after the hour mark as Tanaka followed up to tap home from close range after Jeonbuk goalkeeper Kim Min-sik could only push Leandro Domingues’ low strike from the edge of the area onto the foot of the post.

Jeonbuk were handed a glorious opportunity to get back into the contest inside the final quarter of an hour as Lee Dong-gook was hacked down inside the penalty area by Naoya Kondo, but the 2011 AFC Champions League top scorer hit the post with goalkeeper Takanori Sugeno well beaten despite diving the right way.

Buriram United 1-2 Guangzhou Evergrande
A stoppage-time penalty from Dario Conca earned Guangzhou Evergrande a 2-1 win over Buriram United and sealed a place in the knockout phase of the AFC Champions League for the Chinese Super League side.

Conca, who was not expected to take any part in the match after receiving a nine-match ban from his club for publicly criticizing coach Lee Jang-soo following the 3-1 loss against Jeonbuk Motors on Matchday 5, slotted home after Brazilian Cleo (Cléverson Gabriel Córdova) had been upended in the penalty area.

The win secures Guangzhou’s place in the Round of 16 as winners of Group H ahead of Kashiwa Reysol – who defeated Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors to also progress – and they will meet either Ulsan Hyundai or FC Tokyo in the next phase of the 2012 competition.

After a goalless first half, Guangzhou went in front four minutes after the restart when Gao Lin laid the ball off to Conca and his return pass sent the Chinese international striker searing down the left. Gao then cut inside before sending a shot that beat goalkeeper Sivaruk Tedsungnoen at his near post.

Buriram, though, refused to roll over and, within eight minutes, Attaphol Buspakom’s side had levelled the scores when Zheng Zhi’s weak attempt to head the ball clear fell into the path of Suriya Domtaisong and he made no mistake.

The game looked set to end in stalemate despite near misses by Frank Acheampong and Sarif Sainui for the home side but, with seconds remaining, Cleo was bundled over in the box by Surat Sukha and Conca thumped his penalty down the middle of Sivaruk’s goal, with the keeper unable to push the shot to safety.

The win not only guaranteed Guangzhou top spot in the group but also eliminated Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, last year’s runners-up.

Al Hilal 2-1 Al Gharafa

Riyadh: Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal secured top spot in Group D and their fifth consecutive appearance in the knockout rounds of the AFC Champions League after a 2-1 victory over Qatari side Al Gharafa on Tuesday.

Ahmed Al Fraidi scored early in the second half and Nawaf Al Abid extended the Saudi club’s lead in the 65th minute before Al Hilal defender Osama Hawsawi ensured a nervous finish for the hosts when he put the ball into his own net with nine minutes left.

With their victory, Al Hilal finished a point ahead of Iranian side Piroozi at the top of Group D. They will next face the Group B runners-up – either Baniyas of the United Arab Emirates or Pakhtakor of Uzbekistan – in the Round of 16 next Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Al Gharafa finished third and went out at the group stage for the fifth time in six appearances in the competition.

Al Hilal coach Ivan Hasek was delighted with the result.

The closest that either side came to an opening goal in the first half came just before the interval when Ahmed Al Faraidi tapped in an effort from close range only to see his effort disallowed for offside.

But the Saudi side would go ahead just three minutes into the second-half thanks to some unselfish work by Yoo Byung-soo. The Korean forward had a chance to score himself with only the goalkeeper to beat but he passed the ball instead to Al Fraidi, who easily put the ball into the net.

Yoo should have added to his side’s lead in the 52nd minute as he worked the ball in from the left flank and unleashed a fierce drive that hit the underside of the crossbar and went over the goalline before bouncing back into play. Television replays strongly suggested that the goal should have stood.

But Al Hilal’s second would arrive in the 65th minute as Al Abid received a pass from Al Fraidi and went past goalkeeper Omar Galaleldeen and defender Ahmed Fares before tapping the ball into an empty net.

The home side should have seen out the match easily but they had to endure a nervous finish after Al Gharafa pulled a goal back in the 81st minute. An innocuous low cross from the right should not have caused any real problems but Al Hilal goalkeeper Hasan Al Otaibi and defender Osama Hawsawi got in each other’s way with the defender putting the ball into his own net.

Al Gharafa coach Paulo Silas was not too disappointed with the result.

Al Shabab Al Arabi 1-3 Piroozi

Dubai: Iranian giants Piroozi sealed their passage into the last 16 of the AFC Champions League after coming from a goal down to beat Al Shabab Al Arabi of the United Arab Emirates 3-1 on Tuesday.

Essa Mohammad gave the home side a surprise lead in the eighth minute and they hung on to their advantage until Eamon Zayed pulled a goal back two minutes before half-time.

Mehrdad Pooladi then fired the visitors ahead in the 54th minute before substitute Hossein Badamaki sealed the win with their third goal in stoppage time.

Despite their victory, Piroozi still finished second in Group D behind Saudi side Al Hilal, who beat Al Gharafa 2-1 in a later match to finish a point ahead of the Iranian outfit. As a result, Piroozi will have to travel to Jeddah to face another Saudi club, Group B winners Al Ittihad, in the Round of 16 next week.

Al Shabab had managed only two points from their first five games but they took an early lead at the Maktoum Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium as Essa Mohammad fired a free-kick past goalkeeper Asmir Avdukic into the top corner of the Piroozi net.

The Iranian side pressed for an equaliser and they were finally rewarded in the 43rd minute. Ali Karimi sent in a teasing cross from the right which found Zayed, who headed past goalkeeper Ismail Rabee for his fifth goal of the competition.

The visitors continued to hold the upper hand after the break and they extended their advantage nine minutes into the second half when Mehrdad Pooladi’s powerful free-kick went in off the right post.

The Tehran side nearly extended their lead four minutes later as a shot by Zayed from the edge of the area came back off the the crossbar.

But a third goal would arrive in stoppage time as Badamaki made a strong run into the Al Shabab box, going past defender Hassan Safar and Sami Anbar before firing into the right corner of the net.

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.

FT – TIANJIN TEDA (CHN) v SEONGNAM ILHWA CHUNMA (KOR) (0 – 3)
FT – BURIRAM UNITED (THA) v GUANGZHOU EVERGRANDE (CHN) (1 – 2)
FT – NAGOYA GRAMPUS (JPN) v CENTRAL COAST (AUS) (3 – 0)
FT – JEONBUK MOTORS (KOR) v KASHIWA REYSOL (JPN) (0 – 2)
FT – LEKHWIYA (QAT) v AL NASR (UAE) (1 – 2)
FT – SEPAHAN (IRN) v AL AHLI (KSA) (2 – 1)
FT – AL HILAL (KSA) v AL GHARAFA (QAT) (2 – 1)
FT – AL SHABAB AL ARABI (UAE) v PIROOZI ATHLETIC (IRN) (1 – 3)

16 May 2012 NASAF (UZB) v ESTEGHLAL (IRN)
16 May 2012 AL RAYYAN (QAT) v AL JAZIRA (UAE)
16 May 2012 BANIYAS (UAE) v PAKHTAKOR (UZB)
16 May 2012 AL ITTIHAD (KSA) v AL ARABI (QAT)
16 May 2012 BUNYODKOR (UZB) v POHANG STEELERS (KOR)
16 May 2012 GAMBA OSAKA (JPN) v ADELAIDE UNITED (AUS)
16 May 2012 BRISBANE ROAR (AUS) v BEIJING GUOAN (CHN)
16 May 2012 ULSAN HYUNDAI (KOR) v FC TOKYO (JPN)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 of some crucial games in the UAE Pro League.

It was Grampus who attacked first as Makito Yoshida shot too high early in the game.

The Japanese had another chance before Al Ain settled down and this time Yoshizumi Ogawa played a one-two with Kensuke Nagai but lifted his final effort over the bar.

After Genta Matsuo then failed to utilise a good chance when Ogawa found him on the right but his first-time shot flew across the goalmouth.

In the 21st minute, it was Al Ain who drew first blood and the goal came from a classy move.

Bandar Al Ahbabi found Ibrahima Keita with a forward pass and the Cote d’Ivoire player helped it forward to the advancing Al Ahbabi. He then found Hamad Al Merri who volleyed into the far corner from outside the box giving the keeper no chance.

Grampus midfielder Koji Hashimoto could have done better in the 24th minute but he shot wide and 11 minutes, later the visitors missed again when Ogawa beat Dawood Sulaiman to the ball but his header was way off the mark.

The hosts then stunned Grampus with another superbly executed goal.

In the 38th minute Al Ain’s Elias sent Valentin Badea down the left and then raced into the box to receive the return pass and flick it home for a 2-0 lead.

The Japanese, however, struck soon after the break when a long ball caught the Al Ain defence on the backfoot and Jungo Fujimoto reduced the margin.

But Al Ain restored their two-goal cushion in the very next minute when Genta Matsuo brought down Haddaf Abdullah inside the box and a penalty was awarded. Elias coolly slammed the ball into the roof of the net for his second goal and Al Ain were 3-1 up.

Grampus tried their best to get back into the game and peppered the rival box with some dangerous crosses but with Suleiman solid in goal and defenders Muahannad Al Enzi and Mussalam Faiz quick to thwart any danger, the hosts held on much to the delight of their fans.

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 Abel Braga rested most of his regulars but Bare nevertheless gave the home team the early lead with a superb strike.

Sepahan, who had never won in five matches at United Arab Emirates clubs, must have been wondering whether that jinx would haunt them again when an unmarked Toure headed wide.

However in the 31st minute, Sepahan did get back on level terms. Toure’s acrobatic attempt flew across the goalmouth and Kazemian, a former UAE League player, did well to squeeze his shot in from a difficult angle – much to the surprise of Al Jazira goalkeeper Ali Khasief.

Brazilian Fabio Januario was off target for Sepahan while at the other end, Ibrahim Diaky passed up the chance to get the hosts back in front when his shot hit the crossbar.

Sepahan attacked with more purpose after the interval and soon had their reward.

Kazemian was just unable to pounce on the follow-up when Khosro Heidari’s shot was saved by Khasief but the travelling support did not have to wait long for their second goal.

Toure made an unstoppable run into the box in the 61st minute and fired home to make it 2-1.

And 10 minutes later, Ehsan Hajisafi squared the ball back for an unmarked Toure, who produced a clinical finish.

Braga’s men were down and out and Sepahan sealed their first win in the UAE in style in stoppage time, when Mohammad Herawi crossed for substitute Enayati to head home.

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 much against a quality Al Hilal outfit.

The hosts had a good opening after nine minutes when Al Qahtani got free to meet Mirel Radoi’s corner but sent his header wide of the far post.

Mahmoud then fashioned a chance for himself when a neat turn in the box sent two Al Hilal defenders the wrong way but his shot lacked power and the keeper parried the ball away.

Ahmed Ali Kamel latched onto a ball over the top of the Al Gharafa defence but his weak shot was cleared in the 28th minute and Al Qahtani saw an acrobatic overhead kick sail wide of the target 10 minutes later as the first-half ended goalless.

However, Al Hilal broke the deadlock two minutes after the interval when a corner from the left was glanced on by Majed Al Marshadi and Al Qahtani prodded home at the far post.

Al Fraidi tried to chip Al Gharafa keeper Qasem Burhan but the ball landed on the roof of the net before Otman El Assas saw his strike from 25 yards skip just past the post on the hour mark.

Al Fraidi then produced a shot on the turn from the edge of the area that Burhan got down to save before the striker doubled Al Hilal’s lead with seven minutes to go.

Al Qahtani got in behind the Al Gharafa backline to get on the end of a long ball before he pulled it back to the onrushing Al Fraidi in the box and he slotted a composed finish past Burhan.

With Al Gharafa becoming increasingly more desperate, they left holes at the back for Al Hilal to exploit and Christian Wilhelmsson tried to round Burhan in injury time but the Al Gharafa keeper got a hand on the ball to avert the danger.

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 their campaign on a high note in a game of few chances and gained a measure of revenge for the defeat in the UAE earlier in the competition.

The match got off to a cagey start with neither of the two teams managing to take control in the opening 10 minutes.

However two minutes later, Al Rayyan managed to bring the match to life when they hit the woodwork following a slick move that saw Abdulrehman Tariq pick out his fellow striker Mohamed Salah inside the box but Salah’s header hit the crossbar and bounced back without causing any damage.

Emirates then forced two corners but failed to find their way through the Al Rayyan defence until Hamad Salem produced a header that just flew wide of the post with the home goalkeeper Oumar Barry beaten as the first period ended goalless.

Nine minutes into the second-half, defender Ali weaved his way past three Emirates players before his effort on goal was kept out by Jumaa in the Emirates’ net.

In a similar move in the 65th minute, Emirates midfielder Amer Deeb took the Al Rayyan defenders by surprise with a solo run that saw him close in on goal before firing a powerful effort just wide.

However, 10 minutes later Al Rayyan broke the deadlock through Murad when he deftly headed home a long-range free-kick into the back of the net.

Al Rayyan maintained their slender one-goal lead until added time when substitute Alaa dribbled past two Emirates defenders before slipping the ball past Jumaa to put the result beyond any doubt.

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 from the left but seeing his glancing header flick the crossbar.

The Koreans then gained the upper hand as they began to dominate midfield.

Ha collected a failed attempted clearance by goalkeeper Dong Lei but his 15-yard drive hit Xiong Fei. However, the visitors soon opened the scoring.

Choi Sung-kuk beat Xiong and then forced Dong to palm away is powerful shot at full stretch.

Abdulkader Dakka then made a last-gasp intervention to deny Park Jong-jin’s follow-up, only to see the ball bounce up in front of the goal-line, which enabled Ha to head home comfortably.

Five minutes after the half-hour mark, Choi thought he doubled the advantage for Suwon with a fierce close-range shot, only to see Dong make an excellent save to deny him.

The visitors continued to dominate their Chinese rivals after the break.

Park made a strong run into penalty area just two minutes into the second period, poking the ball wide off the right post when he found himself one-on-one with Dong.

As the hosts began to look more lethargic, Suwon stepped up pressure on the Shanghai defence and turned the game into a one-sided affair as they extended their lead.

Dong parried out a 20-yard effort from Ha but Park swooped on the rebound and delivered a pass across the face of goal for Ha to steer the ball into the net.

Xin wasted an effort of note for the hosts on the hour mark, heading Zheng’s corner straight at keeper Jung Sung-ryong.

Shanghai almost pulled a goal back but an unmarked Wang Yang could not find the target from Wen Huyi’s inviting cross.

Suwon then claimed their third goal when substitute Yeom Ki-hun cut into box before delivering a smart pass for Shin to fire past Dong.

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 a win would take them through, and Wang Liang surged forward from the kick-off before striking wide from just outside the penalty area.

With assistant coach Rajko Magic serving as caretaker boss following the recent dismissal of Branko Ivankovic, Shandong also made a few physical challenges which resulted in bookings inside the opening half-hour for Liu Jindong, Renato Silva and Cui Peng, who was later sent off.

Cerezo looked to show attacking purpose but were frequently floored by their hard-tackling opponents.

By the midway point of the first-half, Cerezo began to threaten the Shandong goal and forward Rui Komatsu cut into the penalty area from the right to hit a shot which was blocked by goalkeeper Yang Cheng.

The hosts opened the scoring when Yusuke Maruhashi’s shot was pushed out by Yang and Rodrigo seized on the rebound to fire in from 10 yards.

Boosted by the goal, the J. League side went on the offensive and created numerous threatening chances before the interval.

Inui and Rodrigo could have doubled their team’s lead but were both thwarted by desperate defending.

Cerezo did increase their advantage a few seconds into the second-half when Kiyotake received a pass from Komatsu and fired in from the edge of the penalty area.

Midfielder Kim Bo-kyung then went close twice with fierce shots on goal, before Inui made it 3-0 in the 73rd minute by slotting home a loose ball after Komatsu cut into the box.

Shandong had threatened before the third goal went in, with an attempt from Ricardo in the 51st minute. But the visitors went down to 10 men with quarter of an hour to go when Cui Peng received his second booking of the day for a dangerous challenge on an opponent.

Substitute Cerezo midfielder Kurata then played a neat one-two and cut inside the box, rifling past the advancing Yang to find the net in the 81st minute

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 well placed before keeper Liam Reddy held Daigo Nishi’s glancing diving header at the other end.

Nozawa fired a free-kick straight at the Sydney custodian in the 16th minute before Kenji Koyano picked out Reddy with a side foot effort after the ball had broken to him at the edge of the box following Osako’s run.

Sydney then took the lead in the 25th minute when Jurman met a corner from the left with a powerful header inside the six-yard box that left Sogahata with no chance.

Mitsuo Ogasawara then saw a goal-bound effort deflected over by the head of Jurman and Nozawa’s strike from range was comfortably held by Reddy as Sydney went in at the break a goal to the good.

The second-half took a while to warm up but Kashima eventually conjured an equaliser in the 64th minute when Masahiko Inoha’s cross from the left was nodded back across goal and Osako was on hand to sweep home a volley from close range.

The forward then directed a header wide of the far post before Cazarine was off target with his head at the other end from Terry McFlynn’s intelligent ball forward.

Reddy had to be alert to preserve the status quo as a nice ball inside the full-back released Toru Araiba down the left and he drove into the box but elected to shoot when he might have crossed and the Sydney keeper parried his effort.

However, the hosts netted the winner with six minutes to go when Nozawa’s low free-kick from 25 yards threaded its way through the Sydney wall and a crowded penalty area to find the bottom corner past a diving Reddy.

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 from Lovrek and a late strike from Kang sung-jo completed the scoring as Jeonbuk collected a fifth victory in six games. Arema also missed a late penalty.

The 2006 ACL winners took the lead after just 40 seconds. Jung Sung-hoon broke free down the right and his low cross fell to Lovrek. The Croatian was not closed down and had time to control the ball on the left side of the area before driving a left-foot shot into the far corner of the goal.

Five minutes later, it was 2-0. Luiz Henrique picked up the ball just inside the Arema half and his simple pass through the middle sent Kim Dong-chan free. The striker rolled the past the goalkeeper to double the hosts’ lead.

Apart from the occasional long-range effort from the visitors, the one-way traffic continued and midway through the first-half, Eninho shot weakly from close range.

It was 3-0 in the 27th minute. Zulkifli Syukur was at the far post to deal with Kim Dong-chan’s high cross from the right but the defender was out-jumped by the onrushing Jung sung-hoon who thundered a header home from close range.

Just before the break, Eninho almost made it four but his shot from 25 yards out beat the goalkeeper but bounced back off the crossbar.

There was still time remaining in the first-half for Jung to also hit the crossbar and Lovrek to add his second and Jeonbuk’s fourth. Luiz Henrique found Eninho who drew the keeper and then slipped the ball unselfishly to his right, leaving Lovrek to side-foot into an empty net.

It took Jeonbuk a little while to get going after the break but substitute Kim Hyung-beom beat two defenders on the right side and pulled the ball back to find Lovrek near the penalty spot. The Croatian’s first time shot flew into the bottom corner to complete his hat-trick.

Kang sung-jo added a sixth with 13 minutes remaining to complete a good day for the Korea Republic side.

Arema’s best chance of the game came with six minutes remaining from the penalty spot. Goalkeeper Kim Min-sik brought down Benny Wahyudi but saved Roman Chmelo’s tame effort.