The two-time continental champions lost the first leg 3-2 in Thailand but Son Jun-ho’s stoppage-time away goal had left the K League 1 side in a strong position ahead of the reverse fixture at Jeonju World Cup Stadium.

Ricardo Lopes volleyed home a superb opener inside 20 minutes to ease any nerves on Tuesday and, after dominating the game, Lee Jae-sung curled in a fabulous free-kick with six minutes remaining as Jeonbuk sealed a 2-0 victory to return to the last eight.

Ricardo Lopes opened the scoring on the night and levelled the tie on aggregate in the 18th minute at Jeonju World Cup Stadium, volleying home crisply after Kim Shin-wook had headed a Lee Yong cross back to him on the edge of the area.

That shifted the advantage in Jeonbuk’s favour after their two away goals in the 3-2 first leg defeat in Thailand, but Buriram nearly re-assumed the initiative just before half time as Jakkaphan Kaewprom struck against the angle of post and bar in the 45th minute.

 

Guangzhou started the brighter of the two teams, with Alan and Nemanja Gudelj both sending efforts narrowly wide early on before Ricardo Goulart gave the hosts the lead in the 17th minute, with the ball ricocheting home off the Brazilian after Tianjin goalkeeper Zhang Lu could only parry another Alan effort against his shin.

Tianjin didn’t take long to strike back though, with Paulo Sousa’s side level almost immediately as Alexandre Pato beat Zheng Zhi to an Axel Witsel cross from the left of the area to head home from close range in the 19th minute.

 

After a tense start, Esteghlal were awarded a penalty kick inside 11 minutes and Senegalese forward Thiam fired from the spot into the bottom left corner, taking the tie back to square one.

Hamid Bouhamdan came close to levelling the score for Zobahan in the 29th minute but his shot from the left cannoned off the woodwork.

As the first half neared its end, Thiam was on target again, this time from outside the box as he curled a left-footed effort that left goalkeeper Mohammad Rashid Mazaheri helpless to put Esteghlal in front four minutes before the break.

 

The hosts wasted no time in taking full control and were rewarded with a goal inside 11 minutes when Nam Tae-hee advanced down the left and sent a low ball across the goalmouth that was inadvertently converted by defender Mohamed Ahmad past his own goalkeeper.

Al Duhail doubled their tally at the half-hour mark through Youssef El Arabi who stabbed in Ismail Mohammad’s powerful cross from the right flank.

Very little changed after the break as the Qataris continued to attack in numbers and soon found the net for a third time. El Arabi sent defender Sultan Al Brake through on goal and the latter attempted to lob goalkeeper Khalid Eisa who was able to get his fingertips on the ball before it fell for Mohammad who tapped into the empty net in the 54th minute.

 

Just like in the first leg, Al Sadd seized the initiative early on. The 2011 champions found the back of the net inside two minutes, with tournament top scorer Bounedjah dribbling into the box from the left before lashing in a fierce strike past Al Ahli keeper Mohammed Al Owais.

The visitors' delight did not last long as Al Ahli equalised in the ninth minute through Claudemir. The Brazilian midfielder was in the right place in the right time to nod home a header to make it 1-1 on the night.

Al Ahli went on to score another goal and it came just before halftime, when Mohannad Aseri capitalised on Abdelkarim Hassan's failure to clear the ball and tapped in from close range to level the aggregate scores in the 39th minute.

 

Korea Republic head coach Shin Tae-yong announced the roster of 28 players for the World Cup in Russia, where they will face Germany, Sweden and Mexico in Group F.

Korea Republic are scheduled to open their Group F campaign with Sweden in Nizhny Novgorod on June 18 and will face Mexico five days later in Rostov-on-Don. The Taeguk Warriors will take on defending champions Germany in Kazan on June 27.

Shin's preliminary squad has three goalkeepers, 12 defenders, nine midfielders and four forwards.

Shin said he decided to add five more players to his World Cup list because of injured players. Korea Republic lost defenders Kim Jin-su, Kim Min-jae and midfielder Yeom Ki-hun due to injuries.

"I first wanted to select 23 players and build up our teamwork in the upcoming weeks, but because of injured players, I had to change it," Shin said at a press conference at Seoul City Hall.

"I was told that Kim Min-jae and Yeom Ki-hun have to be sidelined for eight to 10 weeks. As for Kim Jin-su, he can jog at this moment, but I will have to decide whether he can stay with us after watching him in our training."

Among the 28, half of them play in the domestic K League, with four players selected from the defending champions Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.

The list also includes a handful of Europe-based players like Son, Ki Sung-yueng of Swansea City, Kwon Chang-hoon of Dijon FCO, Hwang Hee-chan of Red Bull Salzburg and Koo Ja-cheol of FC Augsburg.

There were also surprise selections, Lee Seung-woo of Hellas Verona, Moon Seon-min of Incheon United and Oh Ban-suk of Jeju United. All three have been named to the senior national team for the first time.

"These three players never played for us, but they can also go to the World Cup if they can show impressive performances with us (in the upcoming tuneup matches)," the coach said.