At 4 a.m. Beijing time on February 23, the second leg of the AFC Champions League 1 8 finals ushered in the last two fierce battles. At home to Riyadh Crescent, they came back with a 3-1 win over Sepahan. The first half was a stalemate, but in the 54th minute of the second half, Sepahan broke the deadlock first through Ahmedzadeh's goal.
But in the 71st minute, Mojiadam was sent off for a tactical foul, giving Riyadh Crescent a one-man advantage. In the 76th minute, Al-Dosari equalized with a goal, and in the 82nd minute, Ruben Neves' goal put Riyadh Crescent in the lead.
Finally, in the 97th minute, Aleksandar Mitrovic's whistle-breaking goal ensured a 3-1 victory for Riyadh Crescent, with an aggregate score of 6-2, successfully eliminating Sepahan.
In the other match, Jeddah United hosts Namangan New Year. In the first half, Jeddah United trailed by one goal after Benzema's header from a corner kick defense inadvertently turned into an own goal.
However, Benzema quickly equalised in the second half with a header for Hamdallah. Tabataze's own goal then gave Namangan a new lead, but in the final moments of the game, Doncic was sent off for a flying kick. Jeddah United eventually defeated Namangan New Year with a score of 2-1 and eliminated their opponents 2-1 on aggregate.
So far, the quarterfinals of this season's AFC Champions League have all been born, Shandong Taishan in East Asia will face Yokohama Mariner, and Jeonbuk Hyundai will face Ulsan Hyundai. The matchup in the West Asia zone is Al Ain vs. Riyadh victory, and Jeddah United will take on Riyadh Crescent.
Compared with the competition in the round of 16, only Shandong Taishan advanced in the Chinese Super League. They won an epic 6-5 victory over Kawasaki Frontale in a game that was unforgettable.
However, Saudi United are undoubtedly the biggest winners. There was a head-to-head duel between the victories of Fajha and Riyadh, which meant that only one team would advance to the next round, while the other would be eliminated.
In this showdown, a total of 3 teams managed to advance. If Riyadh are able to knock out Al Ain, they will witness a derby clash between Saudi United in the West Asia final and secure an early qualification for the final.
In addition, a total of three Japanese teams managed to advance to the round of 16, but now only Yokohama Mariner remains. Kofu Fenglin and Kawasaki Frontale were eliminated one after another, while South Korea had Jeonbuk Hyundai and Ulsan Hyundai two teams advanced. Pohang Steelers stopped in the round of 16.
According to the schedule, Shandong Taishan will play at home first, facing their opponents on March 6, and then facing Yokohama Mariners away on March 13. During this period, the team will also have to participate in the Chinese Super League, which will make the team face a devilish schedule of three games a week.
In this regard, many domestic fans called on the Chinese Football Association to "give the green light" to Shandong Taishan and give appropriate support in the schedule. They hope that the Football Association can uphold the principle of unanimity and help Shandong Taishan achieve better results in the AFC Champions League. If Shandong Taishan can successfully eliminate the Yokohama Mariners, it will create the best record in the team's history.