After beating Iraq’s Air Force Club in Tashkent in last week’s preliminary round, the Uzbek team had to win away at Al Maktoum Stadium in the play-off round on Tuesday to secure a place in the continental competition, but when they conceded an early penalty it looked like they could face an uphill battle.

Spanish striker Alvaro Negredo missed before Serbian Ceran was handed his own chance from the spot, one which he duly accepted by guiding the ball into the bottom left corner to put his team a goal up just after the half hour.

In a game that saw three penalties awarded for handballs, it was the Uzbeks who emerged victorious at Al Maktoum Stadium in Dubai.

The hosts came racing off the blocks and had their first clear sight of goal when Brazilian Junior Dutra watched his second-minute header saved by the goalkeeper.

Pakhtakor responded swiftly as Jaloliddin Masharipov supplied a through pass for Bikmaev whose effort from a tight angle gave goalkeeper Ibrahim Essa his first test of the night.

So far the record reads: eight AFC Champions League appearances, eight AFC Champions League Group Stage eliminations for Al Rayyan.

But with a comeback win over Iranian side Saipa in the play-offs to confirm a ninth continental campaign, 2019 could be the year that breaks the knockout stage drought according to fullback Al Alawi.

Of the 11 who started Tuesday's AFC Champions League Play-off for defending champions Kashima, only new signing Ito had not been a part of the historic triumph in Tehran last November.

But the former Yokohama F. Marinos forward took little time in adjusting to the continental game, opening the scoring at Kashima Soccer Stadium in the 18th minute with his maiden goal for the club.

Former quarter-finalists Shandong had kicked off their play-off match against Hanoi, yet to appear at the Group Stage, as favourites but the Vietnamese champions impressed in the first half, taking a deserved lead through captain Nguyen Van Quyet before the break.

Coach Li Xiaopeng responded by bringing on Liu Junshuai for Wu Xinghan after the restart and the 24-year-old made the difference, firing home after Hanoi's defence failed to deal with a Liu Binbin header across goal.

Al Hilal, Al Ahli and Al Ittihad had qualified directly to the group stage, but the Riyadh-based club had to navigate a play-off first to join the rest of the kingdom’s ‘Big four’.

The debutants from Uzbekistan had two clear-cut chances in an otherwise compact first half at Prince Faisal bin Fahad Stadium in the Saudi capital.

The Iranian side had to overturn a two-goal deficit in the second half to progress to the group stage.

Al Gharafa broke the deadlock halfway through the opening period after midfielder Abdelaziz Hatim chested down a long pass and set up fellow Qatar international Ahmed Alaaeldin who fired first time with his left into the top corner for the hosts’ first of the game.

Alaaeldin turned from scorer to provider in the 36th minute, laying off the ball to Mehdi Taremi who slid home from the edge of the penalty box to double the Qatari side’s lead before the break.