Al Sadd, however, will be the happier of the two with the result as they took away a crucial away goal ahead of next week's return leg.

The winners will face either Al Nassr of Saudi Arabia or Al Wahda of the UAE in the quarter-finals.

After going behind to a Ghasem Haddadifar strike inside the opening 10 minutes, the two-time AFC Champions League winners came from behind to snatch a ‘home’ victory in the game held at Dubai’s Zabeel Stadium.

Goals from new signing Luis Antonio Jimenez and defender Ziyad Al Sahafi helped Sierra’s men end Zobahan’s six-game unbeaten run in the AFC Champions League.

The eventual winners of the last 16 tie - the return leg will be played on August 12 - will face either Al Ahli Saudi FC or Al Hilal SFC in the quarter-finals.

The defeat was Zobahan's first in the 2019 AFC Champions League, having won three and drawn three matches in the group stage.

It was Brazilian Leonardo's ninth goal of the campaign and leaves Al Wahda well placed ahead of the return leg on August 12. Abderrazak Hamdallah had given Al Nassr the lead in the 17th minute.

The winners will go on to face either Al Duhail or Al Sadd, both of Qatar, in the quarter-finals.

As a hot summer across West Asia comes to an end, it has also been a heated season in the transfer market. The eight teams from Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Islamic Republic of Iran and Qatar bolstered their ranks with exciting signings who hope to start with a bang as teams kick-off their season with the 2019 AFC Champions League Round of 16 matches in August.

Doi played in both legs when Kashima slid out at the Round of 16 phase at the hands of the Chinese Super League club – and two-time AFC Champions League winners – as Antlers continued a dismal record of failing to advance to the last eight for the fourth time since 2009.

But, with their confidence since boosted by their first-ever title win last year, Doi is convinced he and his teammates can avenge that loss and keep alive their dream of claiming back-to-back AFC Champions League crowns.

Ahead of the Round of 16, the quartet of Guangzhou Evergrande, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, Kashima Antlers and Urawa Red Diamonds in the East Zone had all won the coveted trophy, while in the West, Saudi Arabia’s Al Ittihad and Al Sadd had done likewise.

With two-time winners Jeonbuk having now departed, there are five former AFC Champions League winners still in the mix. Three of those sides, meanwhile, will look to create history by becoming the first team to lift the trophy on three occasions – the-AFC.com takes a closer look at the trio.