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AFC Champions League draw to be held in Kuala Lumpur today
Ayeni Olusegun
Doha
After a perfect start to their 2018 AFC Champions League camoaign, Al Duhail will be licking their lips in anticipation of the quarter-final opponents with the draw set to take place at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) headquarters in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia on Wednesday.
In the quarter-finals, four teams from the West Region (Al Duhai, Al Sadd, Persepolis and Esteghlal of Iran) will play two ties on home-and-away-basis, with the match-ups and the order of legs to be decided by the draw, without any seeding or country protection.
Al Duhail were unstoppable in the group stage, where they powered to six wins out of six in Group B.
The Red Knights still basking from the Amir Cup victory have dominated the competition so far, scoring 21 goals while conceding 9, only Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors have scored more (26).
Last year, Al Duhail lost in the last 16 to Persepolis but they are a different team this season, crushing Al Ain 8-3 on aggregate to seal the quarter-final spot. Duhail won an unprecedented domestic treble going undefeated in the QNB Stars League, Qatar Cup and the Amir Cup on Saturday. They would be the team for others to avoid in Wednesday's draw.
With the likes of Youssef El Arabi, who shares the top-scorers' chart with Al Sadd's Baghdad Bounedjah (9 goals) and influential midfielder Nam Tae-hee, the Red Knights should have all it takes no matter who they get drawn against to advance into the semis.
Meanwhile, two-time champions Al Sadd, have had an eventful 2018 campaign where they recorded four wins and two losses to finish as runners-up behind Iranian side Persepolis in Group C.
The two-time champions met Al Ahli Saudi FC in the Round of 16, where two first half goals from Boualem Khoukhi secured them a 2-1 win in the first leg.
In the return leg, Algerian forward Baghdad Bounedjah gave Al Sadd a dream start with a goal in the second minute but Al Ahli's Claudemir de Souza equalised. Seven minutes later Muhannad Assiri gave Al Ahli the lead going into the half-time break.
However, Jesualdo Ferreira's charges bounced back in the 70th minute when Bounedjah scored the equaliser (2-2) to secure their spot in the quarter-finals on aggregate (4-3).
The Wolves have so far managed 15 goals in the competition but have also let in eight.
For Qatari football fans, a clash between both representatives might be bitter sweet. Al Sadd fans would love nothing more than denting the run of Al Duhail, who beat the Wolves in the Qatar Cup final (with VAR the talking point) and also the Amir Cup semi-final, where the VAR played a part again.
The first leg matches of the quarter-finals will be played over August 27-29, while the second leg will be staged in September from 17 to 19.
Japan's Kashima Antlers, Tianjin Quanjian of China PR and Korea Republic clubs Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors and Suwon Samsung Bluewings are the four teams who will be in the East Zone pots.
