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37th edition of premier club football tournament organized by the AFC From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2018 AFC Champions League was the 37th edition of Asia's premier club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 16th under the current AFC Champions League title.
Tournament details | |
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Dates | Qualifying: 16–30 January 2018 Competition proper: 12 February – 10 November 2018 |
Teams | Competition proper: 32 Total: 46 (from 20 associations) |
Final positions | |
Champions | Kashima Antlers (1st title) |
Runners-up | Persepolis |
Tournament statistics | |
Matches played | 126 |
Goals scored | 364 (2.89 per match) |
Attendance | 1,876,986 (14,897 per match) |
Top scorer(s) | Baghdad Bounedjah (13 goals) |
Best player(s) | Yuma Suzuki |
Fair play award | Persepolis |
← 2017 2019 → |
Kashima Antlers won the title for the first time, defeating Persepolis in the final, and qualified as the AFC representative at the 2018 FIFA Club World Cup in the United Arab Emirates.[1]
Urawa Red Diamonds were the title holders, but they were unable to defend their title as they finished seventh in the 2017 J1 League and were eliminated in the fourth round of the 2017 Emperor's Cup, thus did not qualify for the tournament. It marked the second season in a row without title holders after Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors were disqualified in 2017 as a result of their involvement in a match-fixing scandal in 2016.
The AFC Competitions Committee proposed a revamp of the AFC club competitions on 25 January 2014,[2] which was ratified by the AFC Executive Committee on 16 April 2014.[3] The 46 AFC member associations (excluding the associate member Northern Mariana Islands) are ranked based on their national team's and clubs' performance over the last four years in AFC competitions, with the allocation of slots for the 2017 and 2018 editions of the AFC club competitions determined by the 2016 AFC rankings (Entry Manual Article 2.2):[4]
For the 2018 AFC Champions League, the associations are allocated slots according to their association ranking published on 30 November 2016,[5] which takes into account their performance in the AFC Champions League and the AFC Cup, as well as their national team's FIFA World Rankings, during the period between 2013 and 2016.[4][6]
Participation for 2018 AFC Champions League | |
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Participating | |
Not participating |
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The following 46 teams from 20 associations entered the competition.
In the following table, the number of appearances and last appearance count only those since the 2002–03 season (including qualifying rounds), when the competition was rebranded as the AFC Champions League.
The schedule of the competition was as follows.[14]
Stage | Round | Draw date | First leg | Second leg |
---|---|---|---|---|
Preliminary stage | Preliminary round 1 | No draw | 16 January 2018 | |
Preliminary round 2 | 23 January 2018 | |||
Play-off stage | Play-off round | 30 January 2018 | ||
Group stage | Matchday 1 | 6 December 2017 | 12–14 February 2018 | |
Matchday 2 | 19–21 February 2018 | |||
Matchday 3 | 5–7 March 2018 | |||
Matchday 4 | 12–14 March 2018 | |||
Matchday 5 | 2–4 April 2018 | |||
Matchday 6 | 16–18 April 2018 | |||
Knockout stage | Round of 16 | 7–9 May 2018 | 14–16 May 2018 | |
Quarter-finals | 23 May 2018 | 27–29 August 2018 | 17–19 September 2018 | |
Semi-finals | 2–3 October 2018 | 23–24 October 2018 | ||
Final | 3 November 2018 | 10 November 2018 |
In the qualifying play-offs, each tie was played as a single match. Extra time and penalty shoot-out were used to decide the winner if necessary (Regulations Article 9.2). The eight winners of the play-off round advanced to the group stage to join the 24 direct entrants. All losers in each round from associations with only play-off slots entered the AFC Cup group stage.[1] The bracket of the qualifying play-offs for each region was determined by the AFC based on the association ranking of each team, with the team from the higher-ranked association hosting the match. Teams from the same association could not be placed into the same play-off.[15]
Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
---|---|---|
Bali United | 3–1 | Tampines Rovers |
Shan United | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (3–4 p) |
Ceres–Negros |
Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
---|---|---|
Eastern | 2–4 | FLC Thanh Hóa |
Muangthong United | 5–2 | Johor Darul Ta'zim |
Chiangrai United | 2–1 (a.e.t.) | Bali United |
Brisbane Roar | 2–3 | Ceres–Negros |
Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
---|---|---|
Al-Ain | 2–0 | Malkiya |
Zob Ahan | 3–1 | Aizawl |
Al-Gharafa | 2–1 | Pakhtakor |
Nasaf Qarshi | 5–1 | Al-Faisaly |
Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
---|---|---|
Suwon Samsung Bluewings | 5–1 | FLC Thanh Hóa |
Kashiwa Reysol | 3–0 | Muangthong United |
Shanghai SIPG | 1–0 | Chiangrai United |
Tianjin Quanjian | 2–0 | Ceres–Negros |
The draw for the group stage was held on 6 December 2017, 16:30 MYT (UTC+8), at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.[16][15] The 32 teams were drawn into eight groups of four: four groups each in the West Region (Groups A–D) and the East Region (Groups E–H). Teams from the same association could not be drawn into the same group. In the group stage, each group was played on a home-and-away round-robin basis. The winners and runners-up of each group advanced to the round of 16 of the knockout stage.
Tiebreakers |
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The teams were ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss). If tied on points, tiebreakers were applied in the following order (Regulations Article 10.5):[1]
|
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | SSI | ULS | MEL | KAW | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Shanghai SIPG | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 6 | +4 | 11 | Advance to knockout stage | — | 2–2 | 4–1 | 1–1 | |
2 | Ulsan Hyundai | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 15 | 11 | +4 | 9 | 0–1 | — | 6–2 | 2–1 | ||
3 | Melbourne Victory | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 16 | −5 | 8 | 2–1 | 3–3 | — | 1–0 | ||
4 | Kawasaki Frontale | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 9 | −3 | 3 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | — |
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | GZE | BUR | CER | JEJ | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Guangzhou Evergrande | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 6 | +6 | 12 | Advance to knockout stage | — | 1–1 | 3–1 | 5–3 | |
2 | Buriram United | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 6 | +1 | 9 | 1–1 | — | 2–0 | 0–2 | ||
3 | Cerezo Osaka | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 8 | −2 | 8 | 0–0 | 2–2 | — | 2–1 | ||
4 | Jeju United | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 11 | −5 | 3 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 0–1 | — |
In the knockout stage, the 16 teams played a single-elimination tournament, with the teams split into the two regions until the final. Each tie was played on a home-and-away two-legged basis. The away goals rule, extra time (away goals do not apply in extra time) and penalty shoot-out were used to decide the winner if necessary (Regulations Article 11.3).[1]
The bracket was decided after the draw for the quarter-finals, which was held on 23 May 2018, 16:00 MYT (UTC+8), at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.[17][18][19]
Round of 16 | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||||||||||||||
Kashima Antlers | 3 | 1 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Shanghai SIPG | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Kashima Antlers | 2 | 3 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tianjin Quanjian | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tianjin Quanjian (a) | 0 | 2 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Guangzhou Evergrande | 0 | 2 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Kashima Antlers | 3 | 3 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||
East Region | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Suwon Samsung Bluewings | 2 | 3 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Buriram United | 3 | 0 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 0 | 3 | 3 (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Suwon Samsung Bluewings (p) | 3 | 0 | 3 (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Ulsan Hyundai | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Suwon Samsung Bluewings | 0 | 3 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Kashima Antlers | 2 | 0 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Persepolis | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Zob Ahan | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Esteghlal | 0 | 3 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Esteghlal | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Al-Sadd | 3 | 2 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Al-Sadd | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Al-Ahli | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Al-Sadd | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
West Region | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Persepolis | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Al-Ain | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Al-Duhail | 4 | 4 | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Al-Duhail | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Persepolis | 0 | 3 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Al-Jazira | 3 | 1 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Persepolis (a) | 2 | 2 | 4 |
In the round of 16, the winners of one group played the runners-up of another group from the same region, with the group winners hosting the second leg, and the matchups determined by the group stage draw.
Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
---|---|---|---|---|
Tianjin Quanjian | 2–2 (a) | Guangzhou Evergrande | 0–0 | 2–2 |
Buriram United | 3–4 | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 3–2 | 0–2 |
Ulsan Hyundai | 1–3 | Suwon Samsung Bluewings | 1–0 | 0–3 |
Kashima Antlers | 4–3 | Shanghai SIPG | 3–1 | 1–2 |
The draw for the quarter-finals was held on 23 May 2018.[19] In the quarter-finals, the four teams from the West Region played in two ties, and the four teams from the East Region played in two ties, with the matchups and order of legs decided by draw, without any seeding or country protection.
Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
---|---|---|---|---|
Kashima Antlers | 5–0 | Tianjin Quanjian | 2–0 | 3–0 |
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 3–3 (2–4 p) | Suwon Samsung Bluewings | 0–3 | 3–0 (a.e.t.) |
In the semi-finals, the two quarter-final winners from the West Region played each other, and the two quarter-final winners from the East Region played each other, with the order of legs determined by the quarter-final draw.
Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
---|---|---|---|---|
Al-Sadd | 1–2 | Persepolis | 0–1 | 1–1 |
Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
---|---|---|---|---|
Kashima Antlers | 6–5 | Suwon Samsung Bluewings | 3–2 | 3–3 |
In the final, the two semi-final winners played each other, with the order of legs (first leg hosted by team from the East Region, second leg hosted by team from the West Region) reversed from the previous season's final.
Kashima Antlers won 2–0 on aggregate.
Award | Player | Team |
---|---|---|
Most Valuable Player[20] | Yuma Suzuki | Kashima Antlers |
Top Goalscorer[21] | Baghdad Bounedjah | Al-Sadd |
Fair Play Award | — | Persepolis |
Best Goal[22] | Cheng Chin Lung | Kitchee |
Source:[23]
Position | Player | Team |
---|---|---|
Goalkeeper | Kwoun Sun-tae | Kashima Antlers |
Alireza Beiranvand | Persepolis | |
Shin Hwa-yong | Suwon Samsung Bluewings | |
Defenders | Abdelkarim Hassan | Al-Sadd |
Rouzbeh Cheshmi | Esteghlal | |
Gen Shoji | Kashima Antlers | |
Jalal Hosseini | Persepolis | |
Jung Seung-hyun | Kashima Antlers | |
Midfielders | Nam Tae-hee | Al-Duhail |
Léo Silva | Kashima Antlers | |
Xavi | Al-Sadd | |
Kamal Kamyabinia | Persepolis | |
Kento Misao | Kashima Antlers | |
Bashar Resan | Persepolis | |
Park Jong-woo | Suwon Samsung Bluewings | |
Elvis Sarić | Suwon Samsung Bluewings | |
Forwards | Yuma Suzuki | Kashima Antlers |
Godwin Mensha | Persepolis | |
Serginho | Kashima Antlers | |
Kim Shin-wook | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | |
Ali Alipour | Persepolis | |
Alexandre Pato | Tianjin Quanjian | |
Dejan Damjanović | Suwon Samsung Bluewings | |
Baghdad Bounedjah | Al-Sadd |
Source:[24]
Position | Player | Team |
---|---|---|
Goalkeeper | Alireza Beiranvand | Persepolis |
Defenders | Li Xuepeng | Guangzhou Evergrande |
Shoja' Khalilzadeh | Persepolis | |
Jalal Hosseini | Persepolis | |
Lee Yong | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | |
Midfielders | Ricardo Goulart | Guangzhou Evergrande |
Xavi | Al-Sadd | |
Serginho | Kashima Antlers | |
Forwards | Dejan Damjanović | Suwon Samsung Bluewings |
Baghdad Bounedjah | Al-Sadd | |
Youssef El-Arabi | Al-Duhail |
Source:[24]
Position | Player | Team |
---|---|---|
Goalkeeper | Alireza Beiranvand | Persepolis |
Defenders | Abdelkarim Hassan | Al-Sadd |
Shoja' Khalilzadeh | Persepolis | |
Ró-Ró | Al-Sadd | |
Voria Ghafouri | Esteghlal | |
Midfielders | Farshid Esmaeili | Esteghlal |
Xavi | Al-Sadd | |
Siamak Nemati | Persepolis | |
Forwards | Ali Alipour | Persepolis |
Baghdad Bounedjah | Al-Sadd | |
Mame Baba Thiam | Esteghlal |
Rank | Player | Team | MD1 | MD2 | MD3 | MD4 | MD5 | MD6 | 2R1 | 2R2 | QF1 | QF2 | SF1 | SF2 | F1 | F2 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Baghdad Bounedjah | Al-Sadd | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 13 | ||||||
2 | Dejan Damjanović | Suwon Samsung Bluewings | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 9 | |||||||
Youssef El-Arabi | Al-Duhail | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | |||||||||||
4 | Mame Baba Thiam | Esteghlal | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 7 | ||||||||||
Ricardo Goulart | Guangzhou Evergrande | 1 | 4 | 2 | |||||||||||||
6 | Marcus Berg | Al-Ain | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | ||||||||||
Kim Shin-wook | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||
Romarinho | Al-Jazira | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||
9 | Adriano | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 | |||||||||||
Morteza Tabrizi | Zob Ahan (GS & R16) Esteghlal (QF) |
1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||
Serginho | Kashima Antlers | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
Ali Mabkhout | Al-Jazira | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | ||||||||||||
Muhannad Assiri | Al-Ahli | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
Mehdi Taremi | Al-Gharafa | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||
Ali Alipour | Persepolis | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Note: Goals scored in the qualifying play-offs are not counted when determining top scorer (Regulations Article 64.4).[1]
Source: AFC[25]
Matchday | Toyota Player of the Week | |
---|---|---|
Player | Team | |
Group stage | ||
Matchday 1[26] | Leroy George | Melbourne Victory |
Matchday 2[27] | Oscar | Shanghai SIPG |
Matchday 3[28] | Ricardo Goulart | Guangzhou Evergrande |
Matchday 4[29] | Ali Khasif | Al-Jazira |
Matchday 5[30] | Mislav Oršić | Ulsan Hyundai |
Matchday 6[31] | Alan | Guangzhou Evergrande |
Knockout stage | ||
Round of 16 1st leg[32] | Edgar | Buriram United |
Round of 16 2nd leg[33] | Mame Baba Thiam | Esteghlal |
Quarter-finals 1st leg[34] | Dejan Damjanović | Suwon Samsung Bluewings |
Quarter-finals 2nd leg[35] | Akram Afif | Al-Sadd |
Semi-finals 1st leg[36] | Alireza Beiranvand | Persepolis |
Semi-finals 2nd leg[37] | Dejan Damjanović | Suwon Samsung Bluewings |
Final 1st leg[38] | Serginho | Kashima Antlers |
Final 2nd leg[39] | Kwoun Sun-tae | Kashima Antlers |
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