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 …

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)

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 …

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)