Quarter Finals of the 2015 AFC Champions League
Paul Williams
With just eight teams remaining, will a new name be etched onto the trophy, or will one of the four previous winners return to the summit of Asian football?
The Quarter Finals of the 2015 AFC Champions League begin this week with four previous champions - Guangzhou Evergrande (2013), Jeonbuk Hyundai (2006), Gamba Osaka (2008) and Al Hilal (1991, 1999/2000) - in this mix. Joining them are Kashiwa Reysol, Lekhwiya, Al Ahli and Naft Tehran.
With three months having past since the Round of 16 it's worth looking back at how these clubs made it to this stage of the competition.
WEST ASIA
Last year's runners-up, Al Hilal, were out to make amends and started in the best possible fashion. Two goals inside the first 15 minutes of their opening match set up a 3-1 win over Lokomotiv Tashkent. A loss to Al-Sadd and a 0-0 draw against Foolad dented their confidence, however. The brief return of marksman Nasser Al-Shamrani from suspension on match day four provided all the impetus they needed, with the 2014 Asian Player of the Year scoring twice in a 2-0 win over Foolad, the first of three consecutive wins to close out the group stage where they finished top of Group C ahead of Al-Sadd. An away loss to Persepolis in the opening leg of their Round of 16 clash meant they had to win at home. They did just that, coasting to a 3-0 win.
Things started shakily for Qatar's Lekhwiya, suffering a 3-0 loss away to Persepolis on match day one, following it up with a 1-1 draw at home against Al-Nassr. Inspired by Korean international Nam Tae-hee, with three goals in their last four matches, they recorded back-to-back wins over Bunyodkor to get their campaign back on track and finished off with resounding wins over Persepolis and Al-Nassr to secure top spot in Group A. Pitted against fellow Qatari side Al Sadd in the Round of 16, there was little that separated the two sides but a late goal from Ismaeel Mohammed in the second leg ensured they would win 4-3 on aggregate.
Naft Tehran's campaign looked set to end prematurely when they trailed Saudi Arabia's Al-Shabab 0-1 with just five minutes remaining in their encounter at the Azadi Stadium on match day three. With a loss and a draw in their previous two games, another loss would've all but ended their campaign. Two goals in the final five minutes, however, saw them snatch an unlikely victory, following it up with a comprehensive 3-0 victory in the return leg in Riyadh.
A final day loss to Al Ain meant they needed Al Shabab, without a win in their previous five games, to do them a favour and beat Pakhtakor in Tashkent, which they duly did, allowing Naft Tehran to seal second place in Group B. That meant a clash with Al Ahli of Saudi Arabia in the Round of 16. A win at home gave them the advantage and an early away goal in the return leg meant, despite a spirited come back from the Saudi side, the Iranian side would advance on away goals.
The UAE Al Ahli, not to be confused with the Al Ahli from Saudi Arabia who they were grouped with in Group D, also had a shaky start with just two draws in their opening three games. It was a poor return from a side featuring a host of UAE internationals as well as Brazilian international Everton Ribeiro. An 81st minute goal to the Brazilian in match day four against Nasaf handed them their first win, a win that would prove crucial in the final wash up. Two goals in the last 15 minutes of their final match against Al Ahli from striker Ahmed Khalil handed them the crucial three points they needed to secure second spot ahead of Nasaf by virtue of a better head-to-head record, thanks to that important win back on match day four. Their Round of 16 clash with fellow UAE side Al Ain was one of two intra-country clashes in the knockout round. The first leg, at home for Al Ahli, finished goalless. Three goals in ten minutes after half time in the second leg ensured the Reds had one foot in the Quarter Finals. A late rally from Al Ain made for nervous times, but Al Ahli advanced on away goals after the match finished 3-3.
EAST ASIA
In East Asia, three former champions are still in contention.
Both Jeonbuk Hyundai, champion in 2006, and Kashiwa Reysol advanced from Group E with three wins and two draws apiece, with both teams demonstrating their scoring prowess with 14 goals each. This was on full display on Match Day 2 when Jeonbuk put four past Shandong Luneng, while Kashiwa put five past Vietnam's Becamex Binh Duong. The Japanese side finished ahead of the South Koreans courtesy of their 3-2 win on match day five, easily the best match of the group in which Kashiwa lead 3-0 at half time before a Lee Dong-gook inspired comeback in the second half that ultimately fell just short for Jeonbuk, who lost 3-2.
That meant a Round of 16 clash with Beijing, which they edged 2-1 on aggregate thanks to a 72nd minute goal from Edu in the second leg. Kashiwa survived by even finer margins, winning on away goals against Suwon Bluewings thanks to their 3-2 win in the first leg in Suwon.
2008 title holders Gamba Osaka looked headed for an inglorious exit after losses to Guangzhou R&F and Seongnam in their opening two matches, before a 1-1 draw with Thailand's Buriram United at home on match day three. A come-from-behind win in Thailand gave them a glimmer of hope and after they followed up with a 5-0 thumping of Guangzhou R&F, hope quickly became belief. Another come-from-behind win, this time over Seongnam in the final group game, saw them complete their miraculous recovery to finish top of the group ahead of the South Korean side. Three goals in both legs of their Round of 16 clash with FC Seoul saw them coast to a 6-3 aggregate win.
After an explosive start with three wins in their first three games, Guangzhou Evergrande, champions in 2013, looked to be cruising towards the Round of 16. That would be as good as it got as they lost two of their last three matches, the other match ending 0-0 against FC Seoul. Their bright start ensured they did enough to finish top of the group, however. Their struggles continued in the Round of 16, losing the first leg 2-1 against Seongnam. A brace from Ricardo Goulart in the return leg at home saved them from embarrassment as they went through 3-2 on aggregate.
The first leg of the Quarter Finals takes place this week, with the return legs in late September.
Kashiwa Reysol vs Guangzhou Evergrande
Gamba Osaka vs Jeonbuk Hyundai
Al Ahli vs Naft Tehran
Al Hilal vs Lekhwiya
Copyright: Paul Williams & Soccerphile.com
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