20 not out
Al Taawoun FC ultimately needed penalties to see off the challenge of Tractor FC, with the tie having ended 2-2 on aggregate, but the side from Saudi Arabia were good value for the win. They registered 20 shots – 10 of which were on target – for their highest tally in a single AFC Champions League Two match this season.
Tractor give it a real go
Tractor, on the other hand, attempted seven shots – of which four were on target – as they garnered their lowest total in a single AFC Champions League Two match this season but with two goals netted, the Islamic Republic of Iran side took the tie all the way before having to accept elimination.
Sydney on fire
Sydney FC’s amazing comeback against Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors means it is the second time that the Australian side have notched three consecutive wins on the continental stage, having previously done so in the group stage of the AFC Champions League™ in 2016.
Jeonbuk’s amazing run halted
Jeonbuk lost an AFC competitions match after taking a two-goal lead for the first time in 37 games – stretching back to 2013 since such data became available. The two-time Asian champions, amazingly, won 35 and drew one before succumbing to Sydney’s fightback on Thursday.
Alhosani plays pivotal role for Sharjah
Sharjah FC owe their progress to the semi-finals to Adel Alhosani with the goalkeeper making seven saves in their win over UAE rivals Shabab Al Ahli. The most crucial stop was in the penalty shootout, with Alhosani denying Kauan Santos as Sharjah won 5-4.
Heartbreak for Shabab Al Ahli
Shabab Al Ahli must still be coming to terms with their exit, having dominated the second leg despite Sharjah having home ground advantage. Sardar Azmoun and his teammates registered 22 shots – eight of which were on target – to Sharjah’s 14, from which only three were on target.
Shawal the game changer
Shawal Anuar came off the bench to great effect for Lion City Sailors with the winger laying the pass which saw Lennart Thy opening the scoring for the Singapore side, with the tie against Sanfrecce Hiroshima ending 1-1 with Lion City winning 4-1 on aggregate. Shawal is the first Singaporean to register 10 goals (7 goals and 3 assists) in a single edition of the AFC Champions League Two since Shahril Ishak did so for Lion City in 2018-2019 (5 goals and 5 assists).
Sanfrecce give it their best shot
Down 3-0 on aggregate after their first leg result was overturned for fielding an ineligible player, Sanfrecce gave the return fixture a real go with the Japanese side possessing 73.6% of the ball against Lion City Sailors, despite playing with 10 men for more than 30 minutes.
