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The 2008 AFC Champions League was the 27th AFC Champions League, the top-level Asian club football tournament, and the 6th under the current AFC Champions League title. It was the last AFC Champions League before the competition expanded to 32 teams.

Format

Group stage

A total of 28 clubs were divided into seven groups of four, based on region, i.e. East Asian and Southeast Asian clubs were drawn in groups E to G, while the rest were grouped in groups A to D. Each club played double round-robin (home and away) against the other three teams in their group, a total of 6 matches each. Clubs received three points for a win, one point for a draw and no points for a loss. The clubs were ranked according to points and tie breakers were in the following order:

• Points earned between the clubs in question
• Goal difference between the clubs in question
• Goal difference within the group
• Goals for within the group

The seven group winners and the defending champion advanced to the quarter-finals.

Knockout stage

All eight clubs were randomly paired together, with the restriction that clubs from the same country could not face each other in the quarter-finals. The games were played over two legs, home and away; the team with the higher aggregate score was declared the match winner. If the aggregate score could not produce a winner, "away goals rule" was used. If the two teams were still tied, extra time was played, at the end of which the "away goals rule" was again applied if the scores were tied. If still tied, the game would go to penalties.

Schedule

Group stage draw - 12 December 2007

• Group round: 12–19 March, 9–23 April, 7–21 May

Knockout stage draw - 24 May 2008

• Quarter-finals: 17–24 September
• Semi-finals: 8–22 October
• Final: 5 and 12 November

Participating clubs

Indonesia were initially allocated two entries as per previous years. However, on 12 December 2007, the AFC awarded one to Thailand and the other one to Vietnam because the Indonesian domestic league and cup tournament wouldn't be completed in time for the start of the tournament. Both Thailand and Vietnam therefore effectively recovered the entries they had lost the previous year.

West Asia		East Asia
Quarter-finals
Team	Qualifying method	Team	Qualifying method
		Urawa Red Diamonds	Defending champions
Group Stage
Team	Qualifying method	Team	Qualifying method
Saipa	2006–07 Persian Gulf Cup champions	Melbourne Victory	2006–07 A-League premiers & 2007 A-League Grand Final winners
Sepahan	2006–07 Hazfi Cup winners	Adelaide United	2006–07 A-League regular season runners-up
Erbil SC	2006–07 Iraqi Premier League champions	Changchun Yatai	2007 Chinese Super League champions
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya	2006–07 Iraqi Premier League runners-up	Beijing Guoan	2007 Chinese Super League runners-up
Kuwait SC	2006–07 Kuwaiti Premier League champions	Kashima Antlers	2007 J.League Division 1 champions & 2007 Emperor's Cup winners
Al Qadisiya	2007 Kuwait Emir Cup winners	Gamba Osaka	2007 J.League Division 1 third-place
Al Sadd	2006–07 Qatar Stars League champions & 2006–07 Emir of Qatar Cup winners	Pohang Steelers	2007 K League champions
Al-Gharafa	2006–07 Qatar Stars League runners-up	Chunnam Dragons	2007 Korean FA Cup winners
Al-Ittihad	2006–07 Saudi Premier League champions	Chonburi FC	2007 Thailand Premier League champions
Al Ahli	2006–07 Saudi Crown Prince Cup winners	Krung Thai Bank FC	2007 Thailand Premier League runners-up
Al-Karamah	2006–07 Syrian Premier League champions & 2006–07 Syrian Cup winners	Bình Dương	2007 V-League champions
Al-Ittihad	2006–07 Syrian Premier League runners-up	Nam Định	2007 Vietnamese Cup winners
Al Wasl	2006–07 UAE Football League champions & 2006–07 UAE President's Cup winners
Al Wahda	2006–07 UAE Football League runners-up
Pakhtakor	2007 Uzbek League champions & 2007 Uzbekistan Cup winners
FC Bunyodkor	2007 Uzbek League runners-up

Notes

1. Japan (JPN): 2007 J.League Division 1 runners-up, Urawa Red Diamonds, had already qualified for the AFC Champions League as defending champions.

Group stage

Group A

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Bunyodkor	6	4	1	1	8	2	+6	13
Al-Ittihad	6	3	0	3	6	5	+1	9
Sepahan	6	2	1	3	5	8	−3	7
Al-Ittihad	6	2	0	4	4	8	−4	6

Sepahan	0–2	Al-Ittihad
	Report	Jésus Gomez 21' Al Agha 87'

Al-Ittihad	1–0	Bunyodkor
Magno Alves 80'	Report

Al-Ittihad	0–1	Al-Ittihad
	Report	Magno Alves 78'

Bunyodkor	2–0	Sepahan
Bakayev 61' Kapadze 80'	Report

Al-Ittihad	0–2	Bunyodkor
	Report	Hasanov 50' Kapadze 65'

Sepahan	2–1	Al-Ittihad
Seyed Salehi 59' Aghily 71'	Report	Al-Meshal 89'

Bunyodkor	1–0	Al-Ittihad
Kapadze 29'	Report

Al-Ittihad	0–1	Sepahan
	Report	Mohammed 70'

Al-Ittihad	2–1	Sepahan
Laurens 61' Jésus Gomez 64'	Report	Aghily 48'

Bunyodkor	2–0	Al-Ittihad
Soliev 10' Djeparov 38'	Report

Sepahan	1–1	Bunyodkor
Ali Mohammadi 2'	Report	Gochguliev 72'

Al-Ittihad	3–0	Al-Ittihad
Al-Nemri 30', 50' Hazazi 42'	Report

Group B

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Saipa	6	3	3	0	7	3	+4	12
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya	6	2	2	2	5	5	0	8
Al Wasl	6	2	1	3	5	7	−2	7
Al Kuwait	6	1	2	3	4	6	−2	5

Al Wasl	0–1	Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
	Report	Alwan 32'

Al Kuwait	1–1	Saipa
Ajab 44'	Report	Zaynadpour 66'

Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya	0–0	Al Kuwait
	Report

Saipa	2–0	Al Wasl
Traoré 45' Ansarifard 57'	Report

Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya	0–1	Saipa
	Report	Vaziri 45+1'

Al Wasl	1–0	Al Kuwait
Hassan 75'	Report

Saipa	1–1	Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
Rahmati 63' (pen.)	Report	Ayad 71'

Al Kuwait	2–1	Al Wasl
Ajab 10' Al Awadhi 42'	Report	Ali 4' (pen.)

Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya	1–2	Al Wasl
Kamil 69'	Report	Al-Enazi 49' Oliveira 64'

Saipa	1–0	Al Kuwait
Rahmati 24'	Report

Al Wasl	1–1	Saipa
André Dias 90+2'	Report	Traoré 21'

Al Kuwait	1–2	Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
Ajab 22'	Report	Kadhim 17' Abdul-Mohsen 48'

Group C

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Al-Karamah	6	3	2	1	8	3	+5	11
Al-Wahda	6	2	3	1	6	7	−1	9
Al-Sadd	6	1	3	2	6	8	−2	6
Al-Ahli	6	0	4	2	5	7	−2	4

Al-Sadd	2–1	Al-Ahli
Emerson 6' Felipe 26'	Report	Val Baiano 73'

Al-Karamah	4–1	Al-Wahda
Esmaeel 3' Chaabo 27', 48' Al Hamwi 80'	Report	Al Shehhi 83'

Al-Ahli	1–1	Al-Karamah
Al Thagafi 15'	Report	Al Hamwi 44'

Al-Wahda	2–2	Al-Sadd
Pinga 17' Al Shehhi 85'	Report	Tenorio 44' Emerson 71'

Al-Ahli	0–0	Al-Wahda
	Report

Al-Sadd	0–2	Al-Karamah
	Report	Al Hamwi 69' Jenyat 73'

Al-Wahda	2–1	Al-Ahli
Josiel 35', 84'	Report	Al Gizani 81'

Al-Karamah	1–0	Al-Sadd
Jenyat 78'	Report

Al-Ahli	2–2	Al-Sadd
Taher Zakaria 28' (o.g.) Sulimani 42' (pen.)	Report	Gholam 32' (pen.) Ahmed 50'

Al-Wahda	1–0	Al-Karamah
Al Shehhi 90'	Report

Al-Sadd	0–0	Al-Wahda
	Report

Al-Karamah	0–0	Al-Ahli
	Report

Group D

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Al Qadisiya	6	3	2	1	8	7	+1	11
Pakhtakor	6	3	2	1	13	6	+7	11
Erbil	6	2	2	2	8	11	−3	8
Al-Gharafa	6	0	2	4	3	8	−5	2

Pakhtakor	0–1	Al Qadisiya
	Report	Ajab 90+1'

Erbil	1–1	Al-Gharafa
Muslim Mubarak 61'	Report	Araújo 13'

Al Qadisiya	1–1	Erbil
Al Salama 81'		Alwan 28' (pen.)

Al-Gharafa	2–2	Pakhtakor
Mahmoud 57' Araújo 65'	Report	Aliqulov 68' F. Tadjiyev 78'

Al Qadisiya	1–0	Al-Gharafa
Ajab 62'	Report

Pakhtakor	2–0	Erbil
Kholmatov 47' Geynrikh 52' (pen.)	Report

Al-Gharafa	0–1	Al Qadisiya
	Report	Al-Mutwa 89'

Erbil	1–5	Pakhtakor
Sabah 19'	Report	Siamand 38' (o.g.) Kuziboyev 69' Marković 73' Geynrikh 81' Kholmatov 90+3'

Al Qadisiya	2–2	Pakhtakor
Ajab 20' Al Salama 45' (pen.)	Report	Ahmedov 36' Z. Tadjiyev 81'

Al-Gharafa	0–1	Erbil
	Report	Alwan 29'

Pakhtakor	2–0	Al-Gharafa
Z. Tadjiyev 19' Ahmedov 88' (pen.)	Report

Erbil	4–2	Al Qadisiya
Salah 52', 70', 79' Alwan 89'	Report	Al Shammari 23' Al-Kandri 34'

Group E

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Adelaide United	6	4	2	0	9	2	+7	14
Changchun Yatai	6	3	3	0	10	3	+7	12
Pohang Steelers	6	1	2	3	6	7	−1	5
Bình Dương	6	0	1	5	4	17	−13	1

Changchun Yatai	2–1	Bình Dương
Du Zhenyu 4' Cui Wei 70'	Report	Nguyễn Anh Đức 53'

Pohang Steelers	0–2	Adelaide United
	Report	Cornthwaite 3' Djite 59'

Bình Dương	1–4	Pohang Steelers
Robson 11' (pen.)	Report	Denilson 49' (pen.), 58' (pen.) Kim Jae-sung 56' Choi Hyo-jin 64'

Adelaide United	0–0	Changchun Yatai
	Report

Bình Dương	1–2	Adelaide United
Philani 85'	Report	Diego 10' Alagich 78'

Changchun Yatai	1–0	Pohang Steelers
Dah Zadi 86'	Report

Adelaide United	4–1	Bình Dương
Pantelis 56' Dodd 58', 62' Diego 77'	Report	Phạm Minh Đức 65'

Pohang Steelers	2–2	Changchun Yatai
Hwang Jae-won 64' Hwang Jin-sung 90'	Report	Wang Dong 35' Du Zhenyu 70'

Bình Dương	0–5	Changchun Yatai
	Report	Wang Bo 2', 37' Dah Zadi 13' Yan Feng 78' Caballero 90' (pen.)

Adelaide United	1–0	Pohang Steelers
Diego 63'	Report

Pohang Steelers	0–0	Bình Dương
	Report

Changchun Yatai	0–0	Adelaide United
	Report

Group F

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Kashima Antlers	6	5	0	1	28	3	+25	15
Beijing Guoan	6	4	0	2	14	9	+5	12
Krung Thai Bank	6	2	1	3	20	27	−7	7
Nam Định	6	0	1	5	4	27	−23	1

Krung Thai Bank	1–9	Kashima Antlers
Kone 64'	Report	Tashiro 15', 50' Iwamasa 21' Nozawa 34', 90+2' Marquinhos 47', 69', 71' Sasaki 73'

Nam Dinh	1–3	Beijing Guoan
Lê Văn Duyệt 14'	Report	Yan Xiangchuang 57', 90+1' Du Wenhui 60'

Kashima Antlers	6–0	Nam Dinh
Motoyama 25', 48' Marquinhos 58', 67' Tashiro 73' Danilo 90+2'	Report

Beijing Guoan	4–2	Krung Thai Bank
Du Wenhui 39', 73' Martínez 51', 75'	Report	Thansopa 58' Pichitchotirat 63'

Kashima Antlers	1–0	Beijing Guoan
Danilo 52'	Report

Krung Thai Bank	9–1	Nam Dinh
Kone 4', 44', 90+1', 90+2' Thansopa 8', 46', 59' Choeichiu 64' Wongsuparuk 70'	Report	Trần Đức Dương 64'

Beijing Guoan	1–0	Kashima Antlers
Tiago 41'	Report

Nam Dinh	2–2	Krung Thai Bank
Hoàng Ngọc Linh 2', 47'	Report	Thansopa 21' Choeichiu 90'

Kashima Antlers	8–1	Krung Thai Bank
Iwamasa 19' Koroki 21' Tashiro 45' Nozawa 46', 66' Ogasawara 50' Danilo 74', 83'	Report	Pichitchotirat 90'

Beijing Guoan	3–0	Nam Dinh
Guo Hui 14' (pen.) Yang Hao 32', 78'	Report

Krung Thai Bank	5–3	Beijing Guoan
Thansopa 10', 44', 49', 69' (pen.) Pichitchotirat 27'	Report	Tiago 67' (pen.), 70', 77' (pen.)

Nam Dinh	0–4	Kashima Antlers
	Report	Tashiro 27' Koroki 47' Motoyama 75' Danilo 87'

Notes

• Note 2: Nam Định played their home matches at Mỹ Đình National Stadium, Hanoi as their own Thiên Trường Stadium did not meet AFC criteria.

Group G

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Gamba Osaka	6	4	2	0	14	8	+6	14
Melbourne Victory	6	2	1	3	10	11	−1	7
Chunnam Dragons	6	1	3	2	8	10	−2	6
Chonburi	6	1	2	3	7	10	−3	5

Melbourne Victory	2–0	Chunnam Dragons
Muscat 28' (pen.) Vargas 66'	Report

Gamba Osaka	1–1	Chonburi
Lucas 90+4'	Report	Sunthornpit 59'

Chunnam Dragons	3–4	Gamba Osaka
Simões 4' Kim Tae-su 27', 60' (pen.)	Report	Futagawa 30' Bando 53', 75' Yasuda 58'

Chonburi	3–1	Melbourne Victory
Ney Fabiano 45' Baga 79', 90+5'	Report	Allsopp 57'

Chunnam Dragons	1–0	Chonburi
Simões 90'	Report

Melbourne Victory	3–4	Gamba Osaka
Allsopp 4', 65' Vargas 41'	Report	Futagawa 31' Baré 38' Yamaguchi 68' Lucas 89'

Chonburi	2–2	Chunnam Dragons
On-Mo 56' Jinta 88'	Report	Jeong Jun-yeon 5' Kim Myung-woon 48'

Gamba Osaka	2–0	Melbourne Victory
Yamazaki 31', 57'	Report

Chunnam Dragons	1–1	Melbourne Victory
Ko Ki-gu 37'	Report	Pondeljak 4'

Chonburi	0–2	Gamba Osaka
	Report	Yamazaki 64' Lucas 76'

Melbourne Victory	3–1	Chonburi
Muscat 56' Thompson 65' Hernández 77'	Report	Ney Fabiano 55'

Gamba Osaka	1–1	Chunnam Dragons
Futagawa 75'	Report	Yoo Hong-youl 86' (pen.)

Notes

• Note 3: Chonburi played their home matches at Supachalasai Stadium, Bangkok as their own Chonburi Municipality Stadium did not meet AFC criteria.

Knock-out stage

Bracket

	Quarter-finals							Semi-finals							Final
	1	Al-Karamah	1	0	1
	8	Gamba Osaka	2	2	4
									Gamba Osaka	1	3	4
									Urawa Red Diamonds	1	1	2
	4	Al Qadisiya	3	0	3
	5	Urawa Red Diamonds (2007 Champion)	2	2	4
																Gamba Osaka	3	2	5
																Adelaide United	0	0	0
	3	Kashima Antlers	1	0	1
	6	Adelaide United	1	1	2
									Adelaide United	3	0	3
									Bunyodkor	0	1	1
	2	Saipa	2	1	3
	7	Bunyodkor	2	5	7

Quarter-finals

The first leg matches were played on 17 September, and the second leg matches were played on 24 September 2008.

Team 1	Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score	Team 2	1st leg	2nd leg
Al-Karamah	1–4	Gamba Osaka	1–2	0–2
Al Qadisiya	3–4	Urawa Red Diamonds (2007 Champion)	3–2	0–2
Kashima Antlers	1–2	Adelaide United	1–1	0–1
Saipa	3–7	Bunyodkor	2–2	1–5

Semi-finals

The first leg matches were played on 8 October, and the second leg matches were played on 22 October 2008.

Team 1	Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score	Team 2	1st leg	2nd leg
Gamba Osaka	4–2	Urawa Red Diamonds	1–1	3–1
Adelaide United	3–1	Bunyodkor	3–0	0–1

Final

The first and second legs of the final were played on 5 and 12 November 2008, respectively.

Team 1	Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score	Team 2	1st leg	2nd leg
Gamba Osaka	5–0	Adelaide United	3–0	2–0

Top scorers

The top scorers from the 2008 AFC Champions League are as follows:

Rank	Player	Club	Goals
1	Nantawat Thansopa	Krung Thai Bank	9
2	Lucas	Gamba Osaka	6
3	Marquinhos	Kashima Antlers	5
	Masato Yamazaki	Gamba Osaka
	Kone Kassim	Krung Thai Bank
	Yuzo Tashiro	Kashima Antlers
	Danilo	Kashima Antlers
8	Takuya Nozawa	Kashima Antlers	4
	Tiago	Beijing Guoan
	Villanueva	Bunyodkor
	Diego Walsh	Adelaide United

Fair Play Award

Gamba Osaka

See also

• 2008 FIFA Club World Cup

References

External links

• AFC Champions League Official Page (English)
• AFC Champions League on goalzz.com
• AFC Calendar of Events 2008

• 2008 AFC Champions League
• 2008 in AFC football