AFC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE:FORMER WINNERS FACE UNBEATEN OPPONENTS IN LAST 16

Former winners Al Sadd from Qatar will face a daunting test of their AFC Champions League credentials against unbeaten Iranian champions Foolad Khouzestan in the first leg of their Round of 16 tie on Wednesday.

Al Sadd sealed a return to the knockout stage as a last-gasp victory over UAE’s Al Ahli last month secured second place in Group D.

And Al Sadd, who won the AFC Champions League in 2011 to add to their 1989 Asian Club Championship success, will entertain recently-crowned Iran Pro League winners Khouzestan at Sheik Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium ahead of next week’s return fixture.

“The players gave a great performance and they showed big determination to win the match and they held onto the chance to qualify for the knockout stage,” said Al Sadd coach Hussein Amotta following the 2-1 win over Al Ahli in Doha. 

Khouzestan, meanwhile, are on a high after claiming their second Iran Pro League title at the beginning of April. 

The Ahvaz-based team are, though, in unfamiliar territory having crashed out in the group stage of their only previous AFC Champions League campaign 2006.

However, Hossein Faraki’s side have looked anything but out of place in the continental competition after comfortably topping Group B with an unbeaten record ahead of Uzbekistan’s Bunyodkor.

And they underlined their potency in front of goal with a 5-1 drubbing of Saudi Arabia’s Al Fateh in the final round of group stage fixtures at the end of last month.

“I’m extremely happy with this result especially as we gave the chance to some of our new players to prove themselves,” said Faraki after the comprehensive victory over Al Fateh.

“The players showed great will and desire to achieve a victory and we dominated the entire match.”

Also on Wednesday, Uzbekistan’s Bunyodkor will entertain two-time Asian champions Al Hilal after Sardor Rashidov scored a dramatic winner deep into stoppage time as the two-time semi-finalists defeated Qatar’s El Jaish 2-1 last month to snatch second place in Group B.

Al Hilal, meanwhile, booked a seventh consecutive appearance in the Round of 16 after a 1-0 victory over Iran’s Sepahan in Riyadh at the end of April secured top spot in Group D and a trip to Tashkent for the first leg.

In the East, Korea Republic’s FC Seoul will have to overcome Kawasaki Frontale if they are to follow up last year’s final appearance with Choi Yong-soo’s side travelling to Japan for the first leg on Wednesday.

FC Seoul, who lost last year’s final to China’s Guangzhou Evergrande, suffered defeat on their previous visit to Japan against Sanfrecce Hiroshima in the group stage but qualified as Group F winners with a 2-1 win over Beijing Guoan at home last month.

Kawasaki secured second place in Group H behind Australia’s Western Sydney Wanderers after recording a 3-1 win over 2012 champions Ulsan Hyundai in Japan at the end of April.

The final fixture in the first round of knockout ties sees J.League champions Hiroshima entertain debutants Western Sydney after the J.League side qualified for the last 16 for the first time following a 1-0 win over Australia’s Central Coast Mariners.

Western Sydney topped Group H ahead of Kawasaki due to a superior goal difference following a comprehensive 5-0 victory over China’s Guizhou Renhe on the final Matchday at the end of April.