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World records, injury woes, and eyes firmly fixed on the prize as the 2023/24 quarter-finals concluded in exciting style with the second leg matches played out in Saudi Arabia, Korea Republic, and Japan. Here's the post-match reaction from some of the key men involved.

Former winners Al Ain FC, Al Hilal SFC and Ulsan Hyundai FC – who have collectively won a quarter of the 20 AFC Champions League editions since the tournament was launched in 2002-03 – will be joined by semi-final debutants Yokohama F. Marinos in the final four.

As the continental competition now takes a month-long break before resuming in mid-April, the-AFC.com looks back at the numbers that stood out in the second legs of the quarter-finals.

Australian champions Mariners played to a goalless draw against India’s Odisha FC, which took them through 4-0 on aggregate for a date with Kyrgyz Republic side Abdysh-Ata Kant in the Inter-Zone final next month.

Mikael Doka missed a first half penalty for the A-League side but it mattered little as the Australians had gone into the second leg with a comfortable 4-0 cushion from the first leg in Gosford last week.

Mariners will face Abdysh-Ata Kant from Kyrgyz Republic in the Inter-Zone final next month after Islam Ahmedov’s team completed their win over Taichung Futuro from Chinese Taipei on Wednesday.

The first leg of the Inter-Zone final will be held in Bishkek on April 17 with the return in Gosford one week later.

Anderson Lopes’ 75th minute goal took Marinos through in front of their own fans despite playing much of the second half at Yokohama International Stadium with 10 men due to Katsuya Nagato’s sending off for a second yellow card in the 47th minute.

The result at the Nanzih Football Stadium secured Abdysh-Ata an impressive 8-1 aggregate victory, with the Kyrgyz Republic side set for a showdown against either Australia’s Central Coast Mariners or Odisha FC of India in the Inter-Zone final.

Abdysh-Ata trailed going into the break on Wednesday but turned things around to walk away as comfortable winners.

Yokohama F. Marinos were the final side to book their last four spot after defeating Shandong Taishan FC 1-0, with the Japanese side advancing 3-1 on aggregate.