Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Of the eight quarter-finalists, it was Kashiwa Reysol who were the first side to begin their continental campaign against Thailand’s Chonburi in the play-offs having finished fourth in the 2014 J.League.
AFC Champions League Quart-Final Fixtures & 2015 Results
Kashiwa were pushed all the way to extra-time by Chonburi, but with Brazilian Leandro netting his second of the night with five minutes remaining with penalties looming, Tatsuma Yoshida’s 2013 semi-finalists earned a place in Group E alongside 2014 K League Classic winners Jeonbuk as well as Chinese FA Cup winners Shandong Luneng and Vietnamese champions Becamex Binh Duong.
With the J.League side seeking to emulate 2011 champions Al Sadd from Qatar – who were the first side to win the continental title having began in the play-offs – Kashiwa opened their campaign with a credible goalless draw in Korea against Jeonbuk.
That left the pair behind Shandong after the Chinese side beat Binh Duong 3-2 away from home. But the duo were finally up and running on Matchday Two as Jeonbuk beat Shandong 4-1 in China, while Kashiwa posted an eye-catching 5-1 home win over the Vietnamese side.
By Matchday Three, the duo were clear at the top of the table after Kashiwa beat Shandong 2-1 at home and Jeonbuk claimed all three points with a 3-0 victory in Jeonju over Binh Duong, before sharing the spoils in the return fixtures.
The crucial match of Group E arrived on the penultimate Matchday as Kashiwa secured qualification as group winners with a 3-2 home win over Jeonbuk to ensure a superior head-to-head advantage over the K League Classic side.
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