AFC Champions League | the-AFC.com

Despite playing in the second tier domestically, Al Faisaly join fellow Saudi clubs Al Hilal SFC and Al Shabab as well as Qatari duo Al Duhail and Al Rayyan, UAE’s Shabab Al Ahli, Islamic Republic of Iran’s Foolad Khouzestan and 2021 AFC Cup™ runners-up FC Nasaf of Uzbekistan.

Join the-AFC.com as we take a look at how the teams are shaping up for the Round of 16 scheduled for February 19-20 in Doha, Qatar.

The Round of 16 (West) has been rescheduled from February 3 and 4, 2023 to February 19 and 20, while the Quarter-finals will be held on February 23 before the Semi-final is staged on February 26.

The matches at the Saitama Stadium and the Urawa Komaba Stadium in Japan treated us with some stunning goals over the past week.

Join the-AFC.com as we take a look at the pick of the knockout stage goals. Cast your vote for your favourite one at the foot of the article!

With memorable moments a-plenty as a number of teams and players wrote new chapters into their histories. The-AFC.com looks back at what those involved had to say.

From the 19 teams that took part in the group stage (EAST) when it kicked off back in April just one remains as the representative to face the best of the west and be crowned kings of Asia.

With the competition now taking a break until the action returns with the knockout stages in the West next year, the-AFC.com looks back at the numbers that stood out after the recent set of games.

Goalkeeper Shusaku Nishikawa saved penalties from Kim Bo-kyung and Lee Seung-gi to set up a 3-1 shoot-out win for the two-time winners after a breathless conclusion to extra-time saw the game end in a 2-2 draw.

Yusuke Matsuo put Urawa in front before Paik Seung-ho’s penalty levelled the scores while Kasper Junker hit the post in the dying moments of regulation time. Han Kyo-won then thought he had won the tie for Jeonbuk before Junker’s last-gasp equaliser took the game to penalties.

Kim Sang-sik's side gave the semi-final tie against Japan's Urawa Red Diamonds their all but a third consecutive match that went to extra-time took its toll on the Korea Republic champions, with their head coach admitting that fatigue and nervousness led to them crashing out.

Nishikawa’s heroics mean the J.League side will face the top club from West Asia in the continental showpiece over two legs on February 19 and 26.

Yusuke Matsuo had given Urawa an 11th minute lead before Paik Seung-ho struck from the penalty spot 10 minutes into the second half to take the game into extra-time, where late drama ensued before Urawa won the shoot-out. Han Kyo-won thought he had won the game for Jeonbuk with only four minutes remaining as he slid in to steer home Lee Seung-gi’s cross only for Kasper Junker to net the equaliser.

Nishikawa then denied Kim Bo-kyung and Lee Seung-gi in the first two rounds of spot-kicks and Ataru Esaka hit the winning penalty with one round remaining to take Urawa into the final for the fourth time in their history and the third time in six years.

Rodriguez’s side go into the clash off the back of comprehensive wins over Johor Darul Ta’zim and BG Pathum United and the Spaniard is expecting more of the same against the K League 1 side, with a place in February’s final the prize for the victorious outfit.