Despite an early goal for last year's runners-up, Al Ain regrouped and applied constant pressure on their opponents to force Al Hilal defenders into conceding three penalties, two of which Marcus Berg converted for a 2-1 win.

Al Hilal go narrow and tight

Juan Brown set up his Al Hilal side in a conservative 4-2-3-1 formation, experimenting with several players in new positions . Full-back Yasser Al Shahrani was employed in the left-wing position to cut inside and combine with the likes of Mohammed Al Shalhoub and Fahad Al Rashidi in midfield, while also providing coverage for Abdulla Al Zori in the defensive phase.

The visitors got off to the perfect start, taking an early lead when Mohammed Al Burayk fired a curling free-kick from 25 yards out that nestled into the top corner of goalkeeper Khalid Eisa's net seven minutes into the game.

Despite the shaky start, Al Ain regrouped and started to threaten. Their first real sight of goal came in the 20th minutes when Omar Abdulrahman produced a brilliant pass to Marcus Berg right, but the Swede's attempt was cleared off the goal line by Al Burayk.

Al Hilal's defender Mohammed Jahfali was penalised after a reckless tackle on Abdulrahman inside the 18-yards-box, but Al Ain's number 10 failed to deliver from the spot as goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi was quick to make the save in the 24th minute.

Five minutes before the break, Abdulrahman was brought down in the box by defender Ali Al Bulayhi and Berg stepped up to take the penalty, successfully levelling the score.

Al Ain kept the pressure on their opponents and there was still time for them to be awarded a third penalty of the night before half-time when Rayan Yslam was fouled by Fahad Al Rashidi, and Berg was once again clinical to net his side's second in added time.

The hosts got off to a flying start and needed just four minutes to open the scoring as Server Djeparov converted a cross from Farshid Esmaeili past goalkeeper Oumar Barry.

Al Rayyan captain Rodrigo Tabata attempted his luck from long distance, but his strike went wide in the 20th minute as the Qatari side intensified the pressure in an effort to find an equaliser.

Esteghlal doubled their lead 13 minutes after the restart as Vouria Ghafouri stepped up to drive home from the penalty spot to make it 2-0.

The result means Esteghlal are through to the Round of 16 while Al Rayyan will have to battle Al Ain for the second Group D ticket on Matchday Six in two weeks’ time.

 

The visitors took an early lead inside 14 minutes when Mabkhout dribbled past Al Gharafa defender Tameem Al Muhaiza in a narrow space inside the box.

Mabkhout then unleashed a powerful strike that rattled the crossbar which fell for Romarinho who was left with a simple header from point-blank range into the empty net.

Ahmed Alaaeldin restored parity in the 28th minute after he beat Al Jazira goalkeeper Ali Khaseif at his near post to stab home Abdelaziz Hatem’s cross from the left wing following a Wesley Sneijder free-kick.

Al Gharafa’s comeback was completed in the last minute of the opening half when Portuguese defender Diogo Amado controlled Sneijder’s in-swinging corner kick and fired between Khaseif’s legs from close range to take his side into the dressing room with a valuable 2-1 half-time lead.

Twenty minutes from time, Romarinho returned the favour for Mabkhout, supplying a through pass for the number 7 who struck through the legs of goalkeeper Qasem Burhan from a narrow angle to equalise for Al Jazira.

Al Gharafa were reduced to 10 men in added time as Assim Madibo received his second yellow card for a late challenge on Salim Ali.

Al Jazira instantly took advantage and grabbed the winner with virtually the last kick of the game. Mabkhout broke free and rounded the goalkeeper before applying a calm finish to earn his side their second win of the campaign.

The win took Al Jazira to eight points, three clear of Al Gharafa, with a place in the Round of 16 confirmed on a better head to head.

 

Having already booked a place in the Round of 16, Al Duhail rested the star front duo of Youssef Msakni and Youssef El Arabi for the trip to Isfahan. Despite their absence, Al Duhail managed to hold their own against a Zobahan side that desperately needed a win.

Chances were far and few in between during the first half with neither side managing to pose any real danger for their opponents. Things improved after the break, with Zobahan coming close to scoring on multiple occasions.

The Iranians started the brighter of the two sides and had their first chance 11 minutes into the game, when Mohammad Ebrahimi's volley went wide after a spectacular cross from Mohammad Iranpourian.

Brazilian midifelder Claudemir was stretchered off to be replaced with Waleed Bakhashwain in the 15th minute as the Saudi side struggled, allowing the visitors to threaten again - this time from a free-kick by Ebrahimi to Mohammadreza Mehdizadeh's whose header went above the bar.

The match sprang to life in the 19th minute when Tractorsazi were awarded a penalty kick after a foul on Amir Motahari by defender Aqeel Balghaith but captain Mehdi Kiani failed to convert as he his shot hit the right post.

In the final minutes of the first half, the hosts reassembled and began to create dangerous attacks as Taiseer Al Jassam delivered a pass to Mohannad Aseri who fired a shot that went high. Al Jassim broke through the Iranian defence but his attempt sailed wide off the far corner.

After the break, Aseri gave his team the lead through a powerful strike into the right corner of the net in the 49th minute.

Al Ahli cemented their victory with a second goal late on after Moamen Zakaria pounced on a poor defensive clearance to fire home in added time to confirm his side's qualification to the next round.

The Saudi side join Al Jazira in qualifying from Group A, while Tractorsazi will finish bottom of the group and are eliminated alongside Al Gharafa.

 

Lokomotiv started on the front foot as Mirzayev broke the deadlock in the fourth minute, slotting Shukhrat Mukhammadeiv's accurate cross past Al Wahda goalkeeper Mohamed Al Shamsi.

The home side responded through Mohamed Al Akbari, but his right footed shot from close range hit Ignatiy Nesterov's right post.

Just six minutes before the half-time whistle, Mirzayev doubled his tally and Lokomotiv's lead as his crossed free-kick from distance skimmed past all bodies in the box and nestled into the back of Al Shamsi's net to make it 2-0 at the break.