It seems most home teams won through to the quarter finals of AFC Asian Champions League for 2011. The quarter finals will be made up of three Korean teams, two Iranian, one Qatari, one Japanese and one Saudi team. The draw for the knockout stage will be held at AFC House in Kuala Lumpur on June 7.
THE QUARTER-FINALISTS
Jeonbuk Motors (Korea Republic)
Cerezo Osaka (Japan)
Sepahan (Iran)
Al Ittihad (Saudi Arabia)
Al Sadd (Qatar)
Zob Ahan (Iran)
Suwon Bluewings (Korea Republic)
FC Seoul (Korea Republic)

Skipper Abdulla Koni’s first-half goal proved enough for Al Sadd to see off Al Shabab 1-0 at Al Sadd Stadium and reach the quarter-finals of the 2011 AFC Champions League.
Koni headed home from close range in the 12th minute following a corner kick as the Qatari club came out on top in the last 16 clash.
Playing in front of 7,140 fans with the cooling system switched on to keep the searing summer heat away from the players, Al Sadd emerged triumphant after goalkeeper Mohamed …

Two goals in the opening five minutes helped Zob Ahan to a convincing 4-1 win over Al Nassr at the Foolad Shahr and book their place in the quarter-finals of the 2011 AFC Champions League.
Woeful defending allowed Mohammad Ghazi to score after just 28 seconds and the Al Nassr backline did not cover themselves in glory five minutes later when Igor Castro was allowed to head home the second from a corner.
Castro scored his second of the game with a powerful finish in the …

A goal in each half from Yeom Ki-hun and Lee Sang-ho was enough to send Suwon Samsung Bluewings into the quarter-finals of the 2011 AFC Champions League as they overcame Nagoya Grampus 2-0 at Suwon World Cup Stadium.
Yeom broke the deadlock with a close-range header after 23 minutes and Lee Sang-ho took advantage of a defensive mix-up to extend the lead 11 minutes into the second-half as the Koreans completed what turned out to be a fairly comfortable victory over the defending J.League …

FC Seoul strolled into the last eight of the 2011 AFC Champions League with a comfortable 3-0 win over Kashima Antlers at Seoul World Cup Stadium.
Bang Sung-hwan fired the Korea Republic champions into the lead in the first-half, forward partner Dejan Damjanovic produced a super strike after the restart and Koh Myung-jin added a third deep into stoppage time to give Seoul a second victory in three years over the lacklustre Japanese side at the last 16 stage .
Seoul were on top for a …

Sepahan followed up their domestic title success by booking a place in the quarter-finals of the 2011 AFC Champions League with a deserved 3-1 victory over Bunyodkor at the Foolad Shahr.
Having already clinched the Iran Pro League crown, Amir Ghalenoei’s side turned in another impressive throughout to outclass their Uzbek visitors, although they played the majority of the second-half with 10 men after Ibrahima Toure had needlessly got himself sent-off.
Fabio Januario put Sepahan ahead in the first-half and Toure did brilliantly to make it 2-0. Slavoljub Djordjevic pulled one back …

Al Ittihad ensured new boss Dimitri Davidovic enjoyed a perfect return to the club as two goals from Nuno Assis helped them down Al Hilal 3-1 at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium and qualify for the 2011 AFC Champions League quarter-finals.
The Portuguese midfielder twice combined with Mohammed Noor, putting the home side in front early in the first-half and, after Abdelmalik Ziaya had added a second shortly afterwards, netted his second and Al Ittihad’s third just before the hour mark.
Abdulaziz Aldawsari grabbed a …

Cerezo Osaka reached the last eight of the 2011 AFC Champions League after Daisuke Takahashi’s late goal saw them edge out city rivals Gamba 1-0 at Expo ’70 Stadium.
With two minutes remaining, Takahashi received a pass from Kim Bo-kyung on the right and the defender fired home with his right foot for the vital winner, putting an end to Gamba’s Asian campaign.
Cerezo began aggressively and kept the hosts’ defence busy during the opening 20 minutes.
Midfielder Kim was the first to go close with his mid-range …

Eninho was the star of the show as Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors eased their way into the quarter-finals of the 2011 AFC Champions League with a 3-0 win over Tianjin Teda at Jeonju World Cup Stadium.
Eninho scored in each half and had a huge hand in Jeonbuk’s second goal that came just before the break from Lee Sung-hyun as Tianjin, missing no less than six starters, were comfortably dispatched.
The Brazilian’s virtuoso performance ensured the Korea Republic team’s fourth appearance in the last eight of the …

Gamba Osaka (Japan) v Cerezo Osaka (Japan) (0 – 1) (FT)
Jeonbuk Motors (Korea Republic) v Tianjin Teda (China) (3- 0) (FT)
Sepahan (Iran) v Bunyodkor (Uzbekistan) (3 – 1) (FT)
Al Ittihad (Saudi Arabia) v Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia) (3 – 1) (FT)
FC Seoul (Korea Republic) v Kashima Antlers (Japan) (3 – 0) (FT)
Suwon Bluewings (Korea Republic) v Nagoya Grampus (Japan) (2 – 0) (FT)
Al Sadd (Qatar) v Al Shabab (Saudi Arabia) Sheik (1 – 0) (FT)
Zob Ahan (Iran) v Al Nassr (Saudi Arabia) (4 – 1) (FT)

May 24

Sepahan (Iran) vs Bunyodkor (Uzbekistan)
Al Ittihad (Saudi Arabia) vs Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
Gamba Osaka (Japan) vs Cerezo Osaka (Japan)
Jeonbuk Motors (Korea Republic) vs Tianjin Teda (China)

May 25

Al Sadd (Qatar) vs Al Shabab (Saudi Arabia)
Zob Ahan (Iran) vs Al Nassr (Saudi Arabia)
FC Seoul (Korea Republic) vs Kashima Antlers (Japan)
Suwon Bluewings (Korea Republic) vs Nagoya Grampus (Japan)

Japanese clubs failed to reach the semi-finals of the 2009 ACL and, this season, all four J.League teams were unable to advance past the round of 16. In contrast, Pohang won the 2009 title and all 4 Korean teams have advanced into the quarter finals of the ACL title for 2010.
In 2010, Kawasaki Frontale and Sanfrecce Hiroshima were eliminated in the group stages while Gamba and Kashima Antlers lost in the Round of 16.
Japan FA President Motaki Inukai told local media after the R16 games: “We need to think about …

Jeonbuk Motors boss Choi Kang-hee felt that fate was against him once the two teams had entered into extra time. He was pleasantly surprised when Lee Dong-gook scored in extra time to now see his team progress to the last eight with a 3-2 win at Adelaide United.
Jeonbuk led 2-1 deep into stoppage time thanks to Eninho’s double before Sergio van Dijk scored a dramatic equaliser with the last kick of the game.
Lee then saw an effort come back off the underside of the bar and scrambled away before the …

Zob Ahan scored a late goal through substitute Igor to defeat 10-man Mes Kerman 1-0 and book their place in the last 8 of the AFC Champions League.
Mes Kerman had the edge going into the game with a better standing in the domestic Iranian league, but things got tough for them pretty when Abolghasem Dehnavi was sent off in first-half stoppage time.
Zob Ahan didn’t do enough during the second half to look like they would take the game due to their numerical disadvantage. However as the game was about to …

Kashima Antlers 0-1 Pohang Steelers
Defending champions Pohang, booked their place in the quarter finals thanks to a sole goal scored away to Kashima Antlers.
The sole goal scored by Mota at the 30 minute mark was enough to seal the victory and progress.
Adelaide United 2-3 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (AET)
Korea had a fantastic round of 16 with 4 teams now progressing thanks to Jeonbuk’s extra-time win over Adelaide.
Eninho scored the first of the 5 goals in the game just before half-time; his strike was canceled out 12 minutes from time with a …

The second-half introduction of Song Ho-young proved the difference as Korea’s Seongnam Ilhwa scored three times in the last 16 minutes to beat Japan’s Gamba Osaka 3-0 on Tuesday and advance to the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League.
After both sides enjoyed a string of chances in an open first-half at Tancheon Sports Complex, a 74th minute penalty from Mauricio Molina finally broke the deadlock after the Colombian midfielder had been fouled following Song’s cross.
And with six minutes remaining, Song added a second before Molina struck a superb stoppage-time free-kick …

Jose Mota’s double saw Suwon Bluewings reach the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League with a 2-0 win over Beijing Guoan at Suwon World Cup Stadium on Tuesday.
Mota’s header opened the scoring after 27 minutes and the Brazilian wrapped up a deserved win for the Koreans six minutes from the end.
Suwon fired an early warning when Mota volleyed a cross narrowly over the bar at the far post with just six minutes gone.
The game settled down into a cagey affair between the sides, understandable given the magnitude of the encounter, …

Araújo’s scored a late penalty for Al Gharafa to see them progress into the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League.
Ilhomjon Suyunov brought down George Kwesi inside the box in the 84th minute and Araujo made no mistake from the spot to send the hosts into the last eight.
Al Gharafa were deserved winners having dominated the majority of the encounter.
Al Gharafa threatened as early as the second minute when Juninho curled a free-kick just past the post.
Araújo then beat three defenders in the ninth minute but his shot was blocked by …

A goal in the dying stages of the game by Waleed Al Gizani sent Al Shabab through to the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League with a 3 – 2 win over Esteghlal.
Al Shabab took the lead in the 23rd minute through Faisal Al Sultan only for Siavash Akbarpour to equalise through a penalty a minute later.
Esteghlal then took the lead in the 32nd minute through Hossein Kazemi but Tarik El Taib drew Al Shabab level in the 48th minute.
With only a few minutes to go, Al Gizani entered the …

Adelaide United will be focusing its speed to overcome Korean Jeonbuk Motors and progress through to the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League.
Adelaide’s ACL interim head coach Joe Mullen “We see it as a bit of advantage for us, that we have got quick players in our front third,” Mullen said.
“We know we need to score goals to win games, especially in a knockout game, goals are going to be paramount so we needed to work on our offensive movement in the front third.”
Central midfielder Paul Reid remains in doubt …