Asian Champions League Quarter Finals
Paul Williams
It's time for business.
The seemingly endless wait since the Round of 16 has ended, and now Asia's top eight clubs are preparing for battle as the business end of the AFC Champions League gets underway tonight with the first legs of the quarter finals.
So much has happened since the Round of 16 in May. Players have signed and players have left, so much so that it almost feels like a new competition.
Just what can we expect from the four matches this week?
Shanghai SIPG vs Jeonbuk Hyundai
Without doubt the most tantalizing of the two match ups in the east, with the Korean heavyweights Jeonbuk traveling to Shanghai to take on Sven-Goran Eriksson's Shanghai SIPG.
Shanghai made their intentions clear during the summer transfer window with the acquisition of Brazilian star Hulk from Zenit St Petersburg for an Asian record fee of £45m.
Unfortunately we've seen little of the Brazilian striker since, injuring himself in his debut for the club, just minutes after scoring, with Eriksson confirming on Monday that he would play no part in Tuesday night's clash despite recently returning to training.
SIPG were dealt another blow on Friday when midfield wizard Dario Conca also went down injured, with reports suggesting he could be sidelined for two months.
Jeonbuk, meanwhile, has continued to do what they do best - win. They have a comfortable 10 point lead at the top of the K League Classic and look on track for a third-straight domestic crown.
But it's continental success they covet most, and with no Conca or Hulk they'll fancy getting a result to take back to Jeonju for the return leg next month.
PREDICTION: Shanghai SIPG 1-1 Jeonbuk Hyundai
FC Seoul vs Shandong Luneng
Who would've thought we'd be seeing this match up in the quarter finals earlier this year when FC Seoul were at the height of their powers, easily dispatching a struggling Shandong 4-1 when they met in Jinan?
While the goals aren't flowing as freely for FC Seoul as they were in the early rounds of the group stage, they're still just as dangerous in attack with Adriano (11) and Dejan Damjanovic (4) both among the competition's highest scorers this season.
They've strengthened at the back too with the signing of former Al Hilal defender Kwak Tae-hwi, who has plenty of big game experience from his time with the Saudi giants.
Shandong, meanwhile, have turned their fortunes around slightly in the last two months since Felix Magath took over as coach and signed Graziano Pelle and Papiss Cisse. The three-time CSL champions have moved clear of the relegation zone and have won five of their last eight matches.
While Magath chose to leave Cisse out of the ACL squad, opting for Pelle, Walter Montillo and Gil as his foreign trio, the presence of Pelle will give Shandong a giant boost when they travel to the Korean capital.
The Italian international has impressed in his first six matches, with three goals, including a brace at the weekend. The battle between he and Kwak will be one of the keys to determining which side progresses to the semi finals.
PREDICTION: FC Seoul 2-1 Shandong Luneng
Al Ain vs Lokomotiv
Al Ain has never looked totally comfortable in this year's tournament, so it was a relief for the former ACL champions to progress from the Round of 16 in the knowledge that could recalibrate and attack the final knockout stages with greater vigour and determination.
And that is exactly what they'll do after an impressive transfer period netted them former Kashima Antlers star Caio and the ever-reliable and experienced UAE international Amer Abdulrahman from Baniyas.
Then of course there is Omar Abdulrahman. The afro-haired genius needs no introduction. He is Al Ain's barometer. If he produces, more often than not Al Ain win, and he will be thankful to have the additional support from the club's new signings.
After coming close to losing his job before a boardroom shuffle saved his tenure, coach Zlatko Dalic will need to deliver to satisfy a club determined to return to what it sees as its rightful place among Asia's elite.
Lokomotiv will be no pushover, however. The Uzbek side possess the best defence in the competition, conceding just four goals in their eight matches so far. Conversely, they're also the lowest scoring team left in the competition, with just eight goals.
There are signs domestically that could be changing though, with the league leaders scoring 15 goals in their last five league matches.
Fringe national team player Temurkhuja Abdukholikov has scored an impressive 16 goals in 18 matches, while the ever reliable Server Djeparov has contributed seven.
Any side with Djeparov in it cannot be underestimated.
PREDICTION: Al Ain 2-1 Lokomotiv
El Jaish vs Al Nasr
Qatari side El Jaish are looking to emulate their Qatar Stars League rivals Al Sadd from 2011 by going through the qualifying playoffs before progressing all the way to the final.
Their hopes were dashed somewhat earlier this month when it was announced that influential Moroccan midfielder Abderrazak Hamdallah would be sidelined for two months with a knee injury.
The former Guangzhou R&F attacker was a revelation for the Qatari side last QSL season, with 21 goals in 23 matches. The 25-year-old helped himself to five goals in the early rounds of the Champions League too, establishing himself as one of the danger men in the competition.
His injury will mean more responsibility will fall on the shoulders of Brazilian Romarinho who has scored 26 goals in 48 league matches for El Jaish, and like Hamdallah also has five goals in this season's Champions League.
Their opponents are the unfancied Al Nasr, who have done remarkably well to make it this far in their third appearance in the competition.
Not content with just making up the numbers, they made their intentions clear when they signed French-born Moroccan international Abdelaziz Barrada from Olympique Marseille and prolific striker Wanderley from fellow Arabian Gulf League side Sharjah.
The Brazilian netted 32 goals in 51 appearances for Sharjah across two seasons and adds firepower to an already impressive attack that includes for El Jaish midfielder Jirès Kembo Ekoko.
PREDICTION: El Jaish 2-2 Al Nasr
*Predictions are for the first leg onlyCopyright: Paul Williams & Soccerphile.com
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