Two-time winners Al Ittihad from Saudi Arabia return to the AFC Champions League on Tuesday with a trip to Uzbekistan to face Lokomotiv as the 2016 edition of Asia’s leading club competition begins with the opening round of fixtures.
Al Ittihad, who won the AFC Champions League title in 2004 and 2005, finished a disappointing fourth in the Saudi Professional League last year, but ensured a return to the tournament after a one-year absence after recording a 2-1 comeback win over Jordan’s Al Wehdat in the play-offs earlier this month.
And having recorded two semi-final and one quarter-final appearances in their last three outings in the AFC Champions League having failed to quality in 2013, Victor Piturca’s side will look to make a positive start in Group A at Lokomotiv Stadium against the Uzbek League runners-up.
“I expected a tough match, but didn’t believe it will be as difficult,” said Al Ittihad Romanian coach Piturca after goals from Venezuelan striker Gelmin Rivas and Mukhtar Fallatah secured a victory over Al Wehdat.
“We had a good performance in the match and we should have added a third goal but the most important thing is that we won and qualified to the group stage.
“We played with a balanced performance in defence and attack. Our start in the match was not good as we conceded an early goal, but we managed to have a good comeback and score the winning goal in the second half.”
Also in Group A on Tuesday, Persian Gulf Pro League winners and 2007 AFC Champions League finalists Sepahan from Iran entertain President’s Cup winners Al Nasr from the United Arab Emirates.
And with the AFC Champions League retaining the format which guarantees representation from the East and West of the continent in the final, Saudi Professional League champions Al Nassr begin their Group B campaign at home to Uzbekistan’s Bunyodkor, while Iran’s Zobahan travel to Doha to face Qatar champions Lekhwiya.
Meanwhile in the East on Tuesday, former winners Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors entertain play-off winners FC Tokyo from Japan in Group E.
Choi Kang-hee’s Jeonbuk, who won the continental title in 2006 after recording a 3-2 aggregate victory over Syria’s Al Karamah, booked their place in the AFC Champions League for a seventh consecutive year after claiming their fourth K-League Classic title in 2015.
Jeonbuk also reached the semi-finals in 2004 and lost the 2011 final on penalties to Qatar’s Al Sadd, and after back-to-back eliminations in the Round of 16 in 2013 and 2014, returned to the quarter-finals last year only to lose a thrilling tie to Japan’s Gamba Osaka.
Opponents FC Tokyo secured their second AFC Champions League appearance after beating Thailand’s Chonburi 9-0 in the play-offs earlier this month.
Also in Group E on Tuesday, China’s Jiangsu FC travel to Vietnam’s to face domestic champions Becamex Binh Duong after securing just their second appearance in the AFC Champions League following an extra-time victory over Shanghai Shenhua in the FA Cup final last year.
Jiangsu have already made headlines at the start of the new campaign following the high-profile signings of Brazilian trio Ramires, Alex Teixeira and Jo, while 2015 AFC Asian Cup winning defender Trent Sainsbury also arrived in the closed season.
Finally in Group F, J.League champions Sanfrecce Hiroshima welcome play-off winners Shandong Luneng from China to Hiroshima Athletic Stadium, while 2013 finalists FC Seoul from Korea Republic travel to Thailand to face treble winners Buriram United.
Photo: Lagardère Sports
Source: the-afc.com