Japan fought valiantly after going behind early but eventually had to concede to Sweden's superiority with the European side to face Australia in the semi-finals.

It was always going to be hard for Japan against a Swedish side who have not lost a match in more than 16 months but Asako Takakura's side gave the tie their all and walked away with their heads held high despite the tears that flowed at the end of the match.

The Nadeshiko, despite struggling to produce their customary high standards, squeezed into the last eight as one of the two best third-placed teams but ultimately found Sweden a mountain too high to conquer as the hosts fell to a 3-1 defeat.

Magdalena Eriksson opened the scoring for Sweden in the seventh minute with Mina Tanaka equalising in the 23rd but the European side - unbeaten in more than 16 months - turned on the power in the second half with Stina Blackstenius and Kosovare Asllani (penalty) taking them through to a semi-final against Australia.

Trailing 2-1 with less than two minutes remaining, the Matildas stayed in the contest thanks to last-gasp Kerr equaliser, setting the scene for a wild, seesawing period of extra time at the Kashima Stadium.

Needing to match or better the result of second-placed Sepahan to retain their title, Yahya Golmohammadi’s side made no mistake in securing a 2-0 away win over Paykan.

The result rendered Sepahan’s 2-1 away win at Persepolis’ Tehran rivals Esteghlal inconsequential, with the Isfahan-based club falling two points adrift of the champions.

The reigning AFC Asian Cup champions matched the United States for the most part of their semi-final but were finally undone by Gyasi Zardes' 86th minute winner.

The final result may well have been different had Hassan Al Haydos converted a 54th minute penalty, which could have taken Qatar into the final against Mexico but Sanchez had no regrets as the West Asian side continue their preparations for the FIFA World Cup Finals 2022 on home soil.

The race to the AFC Champions League Quarter-finals will take centrestage on September 14 with the commencement of the Round of 16 (East) battles, which will see reigning champions Ulsan Hyundai FC take on Japan's Kawasaki Frontale, while Daegu FC, who will be appearing in the Round of 16 for the first time, will face-off against Nagoya Grampus on the same day.

In addition, the four participating clubs have also been confirmed with host side Amman Club, FC Bunyodkor from Uzbekistan, Islamic Republic of Iran’s Shahrdari Sirjan and Gokulam Kerala FC from India scheduled to compete for Continental supremacy from November 7 to 12, 2021 at the Aqaba Development Corporate Stadium in the country’s capital of Amman.