2008 AFC Champions League

The 2008 AFC Champions League was the 27th AFC Champions League, the top-level Asian club football tournament, and the 6th under the current AFC Champions League title. It was the last AFC Champions League before the competition expanded to 32 teams.

2008 AFC Champions League
Tournament details
Dates12 March - 12 November 2008
Teams29
Final positions
ChampionsJapan Gamba Osaka (1st title)
Runners-upAustralia Adelaide United
Tournament statistics
Matches played98
Goals scored275 (2.81 per match)
Top scorer(s)Thailand Nantawat Thansopa
(9 goals)
Best player(s)Japan Yasuhito Endō
2007
2009

Format

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Group stage

A total of 28 clubs were divided into seven groups of four, based on region, i.e. East Asian and Southeast Asian clubs were drawn in groups E to G, while the rest were grouped in groups A to D. Each club played double round-robin (home and away) against the other three teams in their group, a total of 6 matches each. Clubs received three points for a win, one point for a draw and no points for a loss. The clubs were ranked according to points and tie breakers were in the following order:

  • Points earned between the clubs in question
  • Goal difference between the clubs in question
  • Goal difference within the group
  • Goals for within the group

The seven group winners and the defending champion advanced to the quarter-finals.

Knockout stage

All eight clubs were randomly paired together, with the restriction that clubs from the same country could not face each other in the quarter-finals. The games were played over two legs, home and away; the team with the higher aggregate score was declared the match winner. If the aggregate score could not produce a winner, "away goals rule" was used. If the two teams were still tied, extra time was played, at the end of which the "away goals rule" was again applied if the scores were tied. If still tied, the game would go to penalties.

Schedule

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Group stage draw - 12 December 2007
  • Group round: 12–19 March, 9–23 April, 7–21 May
Knockout stage draw - 24 May 2008
  • Quarter-finals: 17–24 September
  • Semi-finals: 8–22 October
  • Final: 5 and 12 November

Participating clubs

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Indonesia were initially allocated two entries as per previous years. However, on 12 December 2007, the AFC awarded one to Thailand and the other one to Vietnam because the Indonesian domestic league and cup tournament wouldn't be completed in time for the start of the tournament. Both Thailand and Vietnam therefore effectively recovered the entries they had lost the previous year.

West Asia East Asia
Quarter-finals
Team Qualifying method Team Qualifying method
  Urawa Red Diamonds Defending champions
Group Stage
Team Qualifying method Team Qualifying method
  Saipa 2006–07 Persian Gulf Cup champions   Melbourne Victory 2006–07 A-League premiers &
2007 A-League Grand Final winners
  Sepahan 2006–07 Hazfi Cup winners   Adelaide United 2006–07 A-League regular season runners-up
  Erbil SC 2006–07 Iraqi Premier League champions   Changchun Yatai 2007 Chinese Super League champions
  Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 2006–07 Iraqi Premier League runners-up   Beijing Guoan 2007 Chinese Super League runners-up
  Kuwait SC 2006–07 Kuwaiti Premier League champions   Kashima Antlers 2007 J.League Division 1 champions &
2007 Emperor's Cup winners
  Al Qadisiya 2007 Kuwait Emir Cup winners   Gamba Osaka 2007 J.League Division 1 third-place[Note JPN]
  Al Sadd 2006–07 Qatar Stars League champions &
2006–07 Emir of Qatar Cup winners
  Pohang Steelers 2007 K League champions
  Al-Gharafa 2006–07 Qatar Stars League runners-up   Chunnam Dragons 2007 Korean FA Cup winners
  Al-Ittihad 2006–07 Saudi Premier League champions   Chonburi FC 2007 Thailand Premier League champions
  Al Ahli 2006–07 Saudi Crown Prince Cup winners   Krung Thai Bank FC 2007 Thailand Premier League runners-up
  Al-Karamah 2006–07 Syrian Premier League champions &
2006–07 Syrian Cup winners
  Bình Dương 2007 V-League champions
  Al-Ittihad 2006–07 Syrian Premier League runners-up   Nam Định 2007 Vietnamese Cup winners
  Al Wasl 2006–07 UAE Football League champions &
2006–07 UAE President's Cup winners
  Al Wahda 2006–07 UAE Football League runners-up
  Pakhtakor 2007 Uzbek League champions &
2007 Uzbekistan Cup winners
  FC Bunyodkor 2007 Uzbek League runners-up
Notes
  1. ^
    Japan (JPN): 2007 J.League Division 1 runners-up, Urawa Red Diamonds, had already qualified for the AFC Champions League as defending champions.

Group stage

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Group A

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Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
  Bunyodkor 6 4 1 1 8 2 +6 13
  Al-Ittihad 6 3 0 3 6 5 +1 9
  Sepahan 6 2 1 3 5 8 −3 7
  Al-Ittihad 6 2 0 4 4 8 −4 6
Source: [citation needed]
Sepahan  0–2  Al-Ittihad
Report Jésus Gomez   21'
Al Agha   87'
Attendance: 15,000

Al-Ittihad  0–1  Al-Ittihad
Report Magno Alves   78'
Bunyodkor  2–0  Sepahan
Bakayev   61'
Kapadze   80'
Report

Al-Ittihad  0–2  Bunyodkor
Report Hasanov   50'
Kapadze   65'
Sepahan  2–1  Al-Ittihad
Seyed Salehi   59'
Aghily   71'
Report Al-Meshal   89'
Attendance: 6,000
Referee: Sun Baojie (China)

Bunyodkor  1–0  Al-Ittihad
Kapadze   29' Report
Attendance: 12,000

Al-Ittihad  2–1  Sepahan
Laurens   61'
Jésus Gomez   64'
Report Aghily   48'
Bunyodkor  2–0  Al-Ittihad
Soliev   10'
Djeparov   38'
Report

Sepahan  1–1  Bunyodkor
Ali Mohammadi   2' Report Gochguliev   72'
Attendance: 150

Group B

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Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
  Saipa 6 3 3 0 7 3 +4 12
  Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 6 2 2 2 5 5 0 8
  Al Wasl 6 2 1 3 5 7 −2 7
  Al Kuwait 6 1 2 3 4 6 −2 5
Source: [citation needed]
Al Wasl  0–1  Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
Report Alwan   32'
Al Kuwait  1–1  Saipa
Ajab   44' Report Zaynadpour   66'

Saipa  2–0  Al Wasl
Traoré   45'
Ansarifard   57'
Report
Attendance: 8,000

Al Wasl  1–0  Al Kuwait
Hassan   75' Report
Attendance: 4,622

Saipa  1–1  Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
Rahmati   63' (pen.) Report Ayad   71'
Attendance: 10,000
Al Kuwait  2–1  Al Wasl
Ajab   10'
Al Awadhi   42'
Report Ali   4' (pen.)

Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya  1–2  Al Wasl
Kamil   69' Report Al-Enazi   49'
Oliveira   64'
Saipa  1–0  Al Kuwait
Rahmati   24' Report
Attendance: 10,000
Referee: Sun Baojie (China)

Al Wasl  1–1  Saipa
André Dias   90+2' Report Traoré   21'
Attendance: 1,500

Group C

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Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
  Al-Karamah 6 3 2 1 8 3 +5 11
  Al-Wahda 6 2 3 1 6 7 −1 9
  Al-Sadd 6 1 3 2 6 8 −2 6
  Al-Ahli 6 0 4 2 5 7 −2 4
Source: [citation needed]
Al-Sadd  2–1  Al-Ahli
Emerson   6'
Felipe   26'
Report Val Baiano   73'
Attendance: 6,000
Al-Karamah  4–1  Al-Wahda
Esmaeel   3'
Chaabo   27', 48'
Al Hamwi   80'
Report Al Shehhi   83'

Al-Ahli  1–1  Al-Karamah
Al Thagafi   15' Report Al Hamwi   44'
Al-Wahda  2–2  Al-Sadd
Pinga   17'
Al Shehhi   85'
Report Tenorio   44'
Emerson   71'

Al-Sadd  0–2  Al-Karamah
Report Al Hamwi   69'
Jenyat   73'
Attendance: 6,000

Al-Wahda  2–1  Al-Ahli
Josiel   35', 84' Report Al Gizani   81'
Attendance: 5,000
Al-Karamah  1–0  Al-Sadd
Jenyat   78' Report

Al-Ahli  2–2  Al-Sadd
Taher Zakaria   28' (o.g.)
Sulimani   42' (pen.)
Report Gholam   32' (pen.)
Ahmed   50'
Al-Wahda  1–0  Al-Karamah
Al Shehhi   90' Report

Al-Sadd  0–0  Al-Wahda
Report
Attendance: 800
Al-Karamah  0–0  Al-Ahli
Report

Group D

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Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
  Al Qadisiya 6 3 2 1 8 7 +1 11
  Pakhtakor 6 3 2 1 13 6 +7 11
  Erbil 6 2 2 2 8 11 −3 8
  Al-Gharafa 6 0 2 4 3 8 −5 2
Source: [citation needed]
Pakhtakor  0–1  Al Qadisiya
Report Ajab   90+1'
Erbil  1–1  Al-Gharafa
Muslim Mubarak   61' Report Araújo   13'

Al-Gharafa  2–2  Pakhtakor
Mahmoud   57'
Araújo   65'
Report Aliqulov   68'
F. Tadjiyev   78'
Attendance: 2,000

Pakhtakor  2–0  Erbil
Kholmatov   47'
Geynrikh   52' (pen.)
Report
Attendance: 10,000
Referee: Masoud Moradi (Iran)

Al-Gharafa  0–1  Al Qadisiya
Report Al-Mutwa   89'
Attendance: 1,000
Erbil  1–5  Pakhtakor
Sabah   19' Report Siamand   38' (o.g.)
Kuziboyev   69'
Marković   73'
Geynrikh   81'
Kholmatov   90+3'

Al Qadisiya  2–2  Pakhtakor
Ajab   20'
Al Salama   45' (pen.)
Report Ahmedov   36'
Z. Tadjiyev   81'
Al-Gharafa  0–1  Erbil
Report Alwan   29'
Attendance: 200
Referee: Muhsen Basma (Syria)

Pakhtakor  2–0  Al-Gharafa
Z. Tadjiyev   19'
Ahmedov   88' (pen.)
Report
Attendance: 3,000
Referee: Satop Tongkhan (Thailand)
Erbil  4–2  Al Qadisiya
Salah   52', 70', 79'
Alwan   89'
Report Al Shammari   23'
Al-Kandri   34'

Group E

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Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
  Adelaide United 6 4 2 0 9 2 +7 14
  Changchun Yatai 6 3 3 0 10 3 +7 12
  Pohang Steelers 6 1 2 3 6 7 −1 5
  Bình Dương 6 0 1 5 4 17 −13 1
Source: [citation needed]
Pohang Steelers  0–2  Adelaide United
Report Cornthwaite   3'
Djite   59'
Attendance: 8,436
Referee: Mohsen Torky (Iran)

Bình Dương  1–4  Pohang Steelers
Robson   11' (pen.) Report Denilson   49' (pen.), 58' (pen.)
Kim Jae-sung   56'
Choi Hyo-jin   64'


Adelaide United  4–1  Bình Dương
Pantelis   56'
Dodd   58', 62'
Diego   77'
Report Phạm Minh Đức   65'
Attendance: 13,802
Pohang Steelers  2–2  Changchun Yatai
Hwang Jae-won   64'
Hwang Jin-sung   90'
Report Wang Dong   35'
Du Zhenyu   70'
Attendance: 5,468
Referee: Satop Tongkhan (Thailand)



Group F

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Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
  Kashima Antlers 6 5 0 1 28 3 +25 15
  Beijing Guoan 6 4 0 2 14 9 +5 12
  Krung Thai Bank 6 2 1 3 20 27 −7 7
  Nam Định 6 0 1 5 4 27 −23 1
Source: [citation needed]
Krung Thai Bank  1–9  Kashima Antlers
Kone   64' Report Tashiro   15', 50'
Iwamasa   21'
Nozawa   34', 90+2'
Marquinhos   47', 69', 71'
Sasaki   73'

Kashima Antlers  6–0  Nam Dinh
Motoyama   25', 48'
Marquinhos   58', 67'
Tashiro   73'
Danilo   90+2'
Report
Beijing Guoan  4–2  Krung Thai Bank
Du Wenhui   39', 73'
Martínez   51', 75'
Report Thansopa   58'
Pichitchotirat   63'

Kashima Antlers  1–0  Beijing Guoan
Danilo   52' Report
Attendance: 6,487
Referee: Mohsen Torky (Iran)
Krung Thai Bank  9–1  Nam Dinh
Kone   4', 44', 90+1', 90+2'
Thansopa   8', 46', 59'
Choeichiu   64'
Wongsuparuk   70'
Report Trần Đức Dương   64'

Nam Dinh  2–2  Krung Thai Bank
Hoàng Ngọc Linh   2', 47' Report Thansopa   21'
Choeichiu   90'

Kashima Antlers  8–1  Krung Thai Bank
Iwamasa   19'
Koroki   21'
Tashiro   45'
Nozawa   46', 66'
Ogasawara   50'
Danilo   74', 83'
Report Pichitchotirat   90'
Beijing Guoan  3–0  Nam Dinh
Guo Hui   14' (pen.)
Yang Hao   32', 78'
Report
Attendance: 9,000
Referee: Kadhum Auda (Iraq)

Krung Thai Bank  5–3  Beijing Guoan
Thansopa   10', 44', 49', 69' (pen.)
Pichitchotirat   27'
Report Tiago   67' (pen.), 70', 77' (pen.)
Notes

Group G

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Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
  Gamba Osaka 6 4 2 0 14 8 +6 14
  Melbourne Victory 6 2 1 3 10 11 −1 7
  Chunnam Dragons 6 1 3 2 8 10 −2 6
  Chonburi 6 1 2 3 7 10 −3 5
Source: [citation needed]
Melbourne Victory  2–0  Chunnam Dragons
Muscat   28' (pen.)
Vargas   66'
Report
Attendance: 24,656
Gamba Osaka  1–1  Chonburi
Lucas   90+4' Report Sunthornpit   59'
Attendance: 7,000

Chunnam Dragons  3–4  Gamba Osaka
Simões   4'
Kim Tae-su   27', 60' (pen.)
Report Futagawa   30'
Bando   53', 75'
Yasuda   58'
Chonburi  3–1  Melbourne Victory
Ney Fabiano   45'
Baga   79', 90+5'
Report Allsopp   57'
Attendance: 10,000
Referee: Kadhum Auda (Iraq)

Chunnam Dragons  1–0  Chonburi
Simões   90' Report
Melbourne Victory  3–4  Gamba Osaka
Allsopp   4', 65'
Vargas   41'
Report Futagawa   31'
Baré   38'
Yamaguchi   68'
Lucas   89'

Chonburi  2–2  Chunnam Dragons
On-Mo   56'
Jinta   88'
Report Jeong Jun-yeon   5'
Kim Myung-woon   48'
Attendance: 10,000
Referee: Tan Hai (China)

Chonburi  0–2  Gamba Osaka
Report Yamazaki   64'
Lucas   76'

Melbourne Victory  3–1  Chonburi
Muscat   56'
Thompson   65'
Hernández   77'
Report Ney Fabiano   55'
Attendance: 14,558
Gamba Osaka  1–1  Chunnam Dragons
Futagawa   75' Report Yoo Hong-youl   86' (pen.)
Attendance: 7,160
Referee: Sun Baojie (China)
Notes

Knock-out stage

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Bracket

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Quarter-finals Semi-finals Final
               
1   Al-Karamah 1 0 1
8   Gamba Osaka 2 2 4
  Gamba Osaka 1 3 4
  Urawa Red Diamonds 1 1 2
4   Al Qadisiya 3 0 3
5   Urawa Red Diamonds (2007 Champion) 2 2 4
  Gamba Osaka 3 2 5
  Adelaide United 0 0 0
3   Kashima Antlers 1 0 1
6   Adelaide United 1 1 2
  Adelaide United 3 0 3
  Bunyodkor 0 1 1
2   Saipa 2 1 3
7   Bunyodkor 2 5 7

Quarter-finals

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The first leg matches were played on 17 September, and the second leg matches were played on 24 September 2008.

Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Al-Karamah   1–4   Gamba Osaka 1–2 0–2
Al Qadisiya   3–4   Urawa Red Diamonds
(2007 Champion)
3–2 0–2
Kashima Antlers   1–2   Adelaide United 1–1 0–1
Saipa   3–7   Bunyodkor 2–2 1–5

Semi-finals

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The first leg matches were played on 8 October, and the second leg matches were played on 22 October 2008.

Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Gamba Osaka   4–2   Urawa Red Diamonds 1–1 3–1
Adelaide United   3–1   Bunyodkor 3–0 0–1

Final

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The first and second legs of the final were played on 5 and 12 November 2008, respectively.

Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Gamba Osaka   5–0   Adelaide United 3–0 2–0

Top scorers

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The top scorers from the 2008 AFC Champions League are as follows:

Rank Player Club Goals
1   Nantawat Thansopa   Krung Thai Bank 9
2   Lucas   Gamba Osaka 6
3   Marquinhos   Kashima Antlers 5
  Masato Yamazaki   Gamba Osaka
  Kone Kassim   Krung Thai Bank
  Yuzo Tashiro   Kashima Antlers
  Danilo   Kashima Antlers
8   Takuya Nozawa   Kashima Antlers 4
  Tiago   Beijing Guoan
  Villanueva   Bunyodkor
  Diego Walsh   Adelaide United

Fair Play Award

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  Gamba Osaka

See also

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References

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