2018 AFC Champions League group stage

The 2018 AFC Champions League group stage was played from 12 February to 18 April 2018. ^[1] A total of 32 teams competed in the group stage to decide the 16 places in the knockout stage of the 2018 AFC Champions League. ^[2]

Draw

The draw for the group stage was held on 6 December 2017, 16:30 MYT ( UTC+8 ), at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia . ^{[3] [4]} The 32 teams were drawn into eight groups of four: four groups each in the West Region (Groups A–D) and the East Region (Groups E–H). Teams from the same association could not be drawn into the same group.

The seeding of each team in the draw was determined by their association and their qualifying position within their association. The mechanism of the draw was as follows:

• For the West Region, a draw was held for the three associations with three direct entrants (United Arab Emirates, Iran, Qatar) to determine the seeds 1 placed in order for Groups A, B and C. The remaining teams were then allocated to the groups according to the rules set by AFC.
• For the East Region, a draw was held for the two associations with three direct entrants (South Korea, Japan) to determine the seeds 1 placed in order for Groups E and F. The remaining teams were then allocated to the groups according to the rules set by AFC.

The following 32 teams entered into the group-stage draw, which included the 24 direct entrants and the eight winners of the play-off round of the qualifying play-offs, whose identity was not known at the time of the draw.

Region	Groups	Seed 1	Seed 2	Seed 3	Seed 4
West Region	A–D	Al-Jazira	Al-Wahda	Al-Wasl	Al-Ain (Play-off West 1)
		Persepolis	Esteghlal	Tractor Sazi	Zob Ahan (Play-off West 2)
		Al-Duhail	Al-Sadd	Al-Rayyan	Al-Gharafa (Play-off West 3)
		Al-Hilal	Al-Ahli [note 1]	Lokomotiv Tashkent [note 1]	Nasaf Qarshi (Play-off West 4)
East Region	E–H	Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors	Ulsan Hyundai	Jeju United	Suwon Samsung Bluewings (Play-off East 1)
		Kawasaki Frontale	Cerezo Osaka [note 2]	Kashima Antlers	Kashiwa Reysol (Play-off East 2)
		Guangzhou Evergrande	Shanghai Shenhua	Tianjin Quanjian (Play-off East 4)	Shanghai SIPG (Play-off East 3)
		Sydney FC	Kitchee [note 3]	Melbourne Victory	Buriram United [note 3]

Format

In the group stage, each group was played on a home-and-away round-robin basis. The winners and runners-up of each group advanced to the round of 16 of the knockout stage .

Tiebreakers

The teams were ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss). If tied on points, tiebreakers were applied in the following order (Regulations Article 10.5): ^[2]

1. Points in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
2. Goal difference in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
3. Goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
4. Away goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
5. If more than two teams are tied, and after applying all head-to-head criteria above, a subset of teams are still tied, all head-to-head criteria above are reapplied exclusively to this subset of teams;
6. Goal difference in all group matches;
7. Goals scored in all group matches;
8. Penalty shoot-out if only two teams are tied and they met in the last round of the group;
9. Disciplinary points (yellow card = 1 point, red card as a result of two yellow cards = 3 points, direct red card = 3 points, yellow card followed by direct red card = 4 points);
10. Team from the higher-ranked association.

Schedule

The schedule of each matchday was as follows. ^[1]

• Matches in the West Region were played on Mondays and Tuesdays (two groups on each day).
• Matches in the East Region were played on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (two groups on each day).

Matchday	Dates	Matches
Matchday 1	12–14 February 2018	Team 1 vs. Team 4, Team 3 vs. Team 2
Matchday 2	19–21 February 2018	Team 4 vs. Team 3, Team 2 vs. Team 1
Matchday 3	5–7 March 2018	Team 4 vs. Team 2, Team 1 vs. Team 3
Matchday 4	12–14 March 2018	Team 2 vs. Team 4, Team 3 vs. Team 1
Matchday 5	2–4 April 2018	Team 4 vs. Team 1, Team 2 vs. Team 3
Matchday 6	16–18 April 2018	Team 1 vs. Team 2, Team 3 vs. Team 4

Neutral venues

In light of the deterioration of Iran–Saudi Arabia relations since 2016, which caused matches between teams from Iran and Saudi Arabia to be played on neutral venues in 2016 and 2017, and the Qatar diplomatic crisis since 2017, which led to travel bans imposed by Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates to Qatar, the AFC reiterated that matches should be played on a home-and-away basis as normal instead of on neutral venues, and would try to mediate the situation with the concerned associations (Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates), such that a solution could be found regarding matches between teams from Iran/Qatar and Saudi Arabia/United Arab Emirates. ^{[5] [6] [7] [8]} In the end, the same arrangements were made as of the previous season, where matches between Iran and Saudi Arabia were played on neutral venues, while teams from Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates must travel to Qatar to play away matches. ^{[9] [10]}

Groups

Group A

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification		AHL	JAZ	GHA	TRA
1	Al-Ahli	6	4	2	0	9	4	+5	14	Advance to knockout stage		—	2–1	1–1	2–0
2	Al-Jazira	6	2	2	2	9	9	0	8 [a]			1–2	—	3–2	0–0
3	Al-Gharafa	6	2	2	2	12	9	+3	8 [a]			1–1	2–3	—	3–0
4	Tractor Sazi	6	0	2	4	2	10	−8	2			0–1	1–1	1–3	—

Source: AFC
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
Notes:

1. Head-to-head results: Al-Jazira 3–2 Al-Gharafa, Al-Gharafa 2–3 Al-Jazira.

12 February 2018 (2018-02-12)

19:30  UTC+4

Al-Jazira	3–2	Al-Gharafa
Romarinho 10' Mabkhout 27' Al Attas 69'	Live Report Stats Report	Taremi 11' Sneijder 71'

Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi

Attendance: 4,138

Referee: Peter Green (Australia)

12 February 2018 (2018-02-12)

19:30  UTC+4

Tractor Sazi	0–1	Al-Ahli
	Live Report Stats Report	Assiri 67'

Al-Seeb Stadium, Seeb (Oman) ^{[note 4]}

Attendance: 1,253

Referee: Jumpei Iida (Japan)

---

19 February 2018 (2018-02-19)

18:00  UTC+3

Al-Gharafa	3–0	Tractor Sazi
Taremi 11', 90+4' Gregov 21' (o.g.)	Live Report Stats Report

Thani bin Jassim Stadium, Al Rayyan

Attendance: 2,833

Referee: Liu Kwok Man (Hong Kong)

19 February 2018 (2018-02-19)

20:10  UTC+3

Al-Ahli	2–1	Al-Jazira
Al-Jassim 10' Assiri 70' (pen.)	Live Report Stats Report	Mabkhout 89'

King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah

Attendance: 14,477

Referee: Hettikamkanamge Perera (Sri Lanka)

---

5 March 2018 (2018-03-05)

19:00  UTC+4

Al-Jazira	0–0	Tractor Sazi
	Live Report Stats Report

Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi

Attendance: 3,360

Referee: Kim Dong-jin (South Korea)

5 March 2018 (2018-03-05)

18:10  UTC+3

Al-Gharafa	1–1	Al-Ahli
Quijada 90+1'	Live Report Stats Report	Balghaith 62'

Thani bin Jassim Stadium, Al Rayyan

Attendance: 7,345

Referee: Valentin Kovalenko (Uzbekistan)

---

13 March 2018 (2018-03-13)

16:00  UTC+3:30

Tractor Sazi	1–1	Al-Jazira
Hatami 78'	Live Report Stats Report	Romarinho 44'

Yadegar-e Emam Stadium, Tabriz

Attendance: 41,520

Referee: Fu Ming (China)

13 March 2018 (2018-03-13)

20:15  UTC+3

Al-Ahli	1–1	Al-Gharafa
Zakaria 58'	Live Report Stats Report	Taremi 56'

King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah

Attendance: 19,020

Referee: Ko Hyung-jin (South Korea)

---

3 April 2018 (2018-04-03)

18:30  UTC+3

Al-Gharafa	2–3	Al-Jazira
Alaaeldin 28' Amado 44'	Live Report Stats Report	Romarinho 14' Mabkhout 70', 90+4'

Thani bin Jassim Stadium, Al Rayyan

Attendance: 3,215

Referee: Adham Makhadmeh (Jordan)

3 April 2018 (2018-04-03)

20:20  UTC+4

Al-Ahli	2–0	Tractor Sazi
Assiri 49' Zakaria 90+2'	Live Report Stats Report

Tahnoun bin Mohammed Stadium, Al Ain (United Arab Emirates) ^{[note 4]}

Attendance: 100

Referee: Peter Green (Australia)

---

17 April 2018 (2018-04-17)

18:30  UTC+4

Al-Jazira	1–2	Al-Ahli
Romarinho 68'	Live Report Stats Report	Al-Amri 6' Zakaria 30'

Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi

Attendance: 621

Referee: Minoru Tōjō (Japan)

17 April 2018 (2018-04-17)

19:00  UTC+4:30

Tractor Sazi	1–3	Al-Gharafa
Iranpourian 31' (pen.)	Live Report Stats Report	Hassan 70' Hatem 76' Taremi 87'

Yadegar-e Emam Stadium, Tabriz

Attendance: 1,500

Referee: Ali Sabah (Iraq)

Group B

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification		DUH	ZOB	LOK	WAH
1	Al-Duhail	6	6	0	0	13	6	+7	18	Advance to knockout stage		—	3–1	3–2	1–0
2	Zob Ahan	6	2	1	3	6	8	−2	7 [a]			0–1	—	2–0	2–0
3	Lokomotiv Tashkent	6	2	1	3	13	9	+4	7 [a]			1–2	1–1	—	5–0
4	Al-Wahda	6	1	0	5	6	15	−9	3			2–3	3–0	1–4	—

Source: AFC
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
Notes:

1. Head-to-head results: Zob Ahan 2–0 Lokomotiv Tashkent, Lokomotiv Tashkent 1–1 Zob Ahan.

12 February 2018 (2018-02-12)

16:00  UTC+5

Lokomotiv Tashkent	5–0	Al-Wahda
Nivaldo 25' Alibaev 53', 87' Sultan 55' (o.g.) Rashidov 59'	Live Report Stats Report

Lokomotiv Stadium, Tashkent

Attendance: 5,440

Referee: Minoru Tōjō (Japan)

12 February 2018 (2018-02-12)

16:15  UTC+3

Al-Duhail	3–1	Zob Ahan
Boudiaf 74', 76' Msakni 84'	Live Report Stats Report	Kiros 12'

Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium, Doha

Attendance: 2,150

Referee: Ryuji Sato (Japan)

---

19 February 2018 (2018-02-19)

16:00  UTC+3:30

Zob Ahan	2–0	Lokomotiv Tashkent
Tabrizi 47' Hosseini 90+2'	Live Report Stats Report

Foolad Shahr Stadium, Isfahan

Attendance: 1,764

Referee: Fu Ming (China)

19 February 2018 (2018-02-19)

18:50  UTC+4

Al-Wahda	2–3	Al-Duhail
Tagliabúe 4' (pen.) Batna 90+3' (pen.)	Live Report Stats Report	El-Arabi 57', 80' Boudiaf 75'

Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi

Attendance: 6,322

Referee: Mohd Amirul Izwan Yaacob (Malaysia)

---

6 March 2018 (2018-03-06)

16:00  UTC+3:30

Zob Ahan	2–0	Al-Wahda
Tabrizi 34', 73'	Live Report Stats Report

Foolad Shahr Stadium, Isfahan

Attendance: 3,114

Referee: Adham Makhadmeh (Jordan)

6 March 2018 (2018-03-06)

18:00  UTC+3

Al-Duhail	3–2	Lokomotiv Tashkent
El-Arabi 9', 19' Msakni 25'	Live Report Stats Report	Nivaldo 57' Bikmaev 59'

Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium, Doha

Attendance: 4,023

Referee: Chris Beath (Australia)

---

12 March 2018 (2018-03-12)

17:00  UTC+5

Lokomotiv Tashkent	1–2	Al-Duhail
Rashidov 35'	Live Report Stats Report	El-Arabi 90+1' (pen.), 90+4'

Lokomotiv Stadium, Tashkent

Attendance: 6,375

Referee: Hiroyuki Kimura (Japan)

12 March 2018 (2018-03-12)

19:00  UTC+4

Al-Wahda	3–0	Zob Ahan
Tagliabúe 45+1' Batna 57' Al-Akbari 65'	Live Report Stats Report

Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi

Attendance: 1,839

Referee: Jarred Gillett (Australia)

---

3 April 2018 (2018-04-03)

18:45  UTC+4:30

Zob Ahan	0–1	Al-Duhail
	Live Report Stats Report	Mohammad 84'

Foolad Shahr Stadium, Isfahan

Attendance: 4,760

Referee: Nivon Robesh Gamini (Sri Lanka)

3 April 2018 (2018-04-03)

19:10  UTC+4

Al-Wahda	1–4	Lokomotiv Tashkent
Kd. Ibrahim 88'	Live Report Stats Report	Mirzaev 4', 39' Shaakhmedov 55' Rashed 89' (o.g.)

Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi

Attendance: 3,678

Referee: Liu Kwok Man (Hong Kong)

---

17 April 2018 (2018-04-17)

17:00  UTC+3

Al-Duhail	1–0	Al-Wahda
Mostafa 47'	Live Report Stats Report

Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium, Doha

Attendance: 700

Referee: Ma Ning (China)

17 April 2018 (2018-04-17)

19:00  UTC+5

Lokomotiv Tashkent	1–1	Zob Ahan
Tukhtakhodjaev 90'	Live Report Stats Report	Tabrizi 25'

Lokomotiv Stadium, Tashkent

Attendance: 4,212

Referee: Ko Hyung-jin (South Korea)

Group C

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification		PER	SAD	NSF	WAS
1	Persepolis	6	4	1	1	8	3	+5	13	Advance to knockout stage		—	1–0	3–0	2–0
2	Al-Sadd	6	4	0	2	11	5	+6	12			3–1	—	4–0	2–1
3	Nasaf Qarshi	6	3	1	2	4	8	−4	10			0–0	1–0	—	1–0
4	Al-Wasl	6	0	0	6	3	10	−7	0			0–1	1–2	1–2	—

Source: AFC
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers

13 February 2018 (2018-02-13)

17:15  UTC+3:30

Persepolis	3–0	Nasaf Qarshi
Mensha 20' Alipour 66', 71'	Live Report Stats Report

Azadi Stadium, Tehran

Attendance: 25,830

Referee: Kim Dong-jin (South Korea)

13 February 2018 (2018-02-13)

19:00  UTC+4

Al-Wasl	1–2	Al-Sadd
Fabio Lima 26'	Live Report Stats Report	Bounedjah 79', 90'

Zabeel Stadium, Dubai

Attendance: 5,895

Referee: Ko Hyung-jin (South Korea)

---

20 February 2018 (2018-02-20)

18:00  UTC+5

Nasaf Qarshi	1–0	Al-Wasl
Golban 57'	Live Report Stats Report

Qarshi Markaziy Stadium, Qarshi

Attendance: 12,348

Referee: Jarred Gillett (Australia)

20 February 2018 (2018-02-20)

18:30  UTC+3

Al-Sadd	3–1	Persepolis
Bounedjah 36', 51' Khoukhi 66'	Live Report Stats Report	Nemati 90+4'

Jassim bin Hamad Stadium, Al Rayyan

Attendance: 5,842

Referee: Muhammad Taqi (Singapore)

---

5 March 2018 (2018-03-05)

18:30  UTC+5

Nasaf Qarshi	1–0	Al-Sadd
Ganiev 62' (pen.)	Live Report Stats Report

Qarshi Markaziy Stadium, Qarshi

Attendance: 20,978

Referee: Jumpei Iida (Japan)

5 March 2018 (2018-03-05)

17:15  UTC+3:30

Persepolis	2–0	Al-Wasl
Ahmadzadeh 36' Alipour 41' (pen.)	Live Report Stats Report

Azadi Stadium, Tehran

Attendance: 33,170

Referee: Ali Sabah (Iraq)

---

13 March 2018 (2018-03-13)

18:15  UTC+3

Al-Sadd	4–0	Nasaf Qarshi
Xavi 3' Hassan 15' Bounedjah 43' Hamroun 71'	Live Report Stats Report

Jassim bin Hamad Stadium, Al Rayyan

Attendance: 4,133

Referee: Ahmed Al-Kaf (Oman)

13 March 2018 (2018-03-13)

19:15  UTC+4

Al-Wasl	0–1	Persepolis
	Live Report Stats Report	Kamyabinia 37'

Zabeel Stadium, Dubai

Attendance: 5,841

Referee: Ma Ning (China)

---

2 April 2018 (2018-04-02)

19:30  UTC+5

Nasaf Qarshi	0–0	Persepolis
	Live Report Stats Report

Qarshi Markaziy Stadium, Qarshi

Attendance: 18,349

Referee: Ali Abdulnabi (Bahrain)

2 April 2018 (2018-04-02)

19:00  UTC+3

Al-Sadd	2–1	Al-Wasl
Bounedjah 9', 53'	Live Report Stats Report	Caio 90+2'

Jassim bin Hamad Stadium, Al Rayyan

Attendance: 5,169

Referee: Ryuji Sato (Japan)

---

16 April 2018 (2018-04-16)

19:30  UTC+4:30

Persepolis	1–0	Al-Sadd
Pouraliganji 3' (o.g.)	Live Report Stats Report

Azadi Stadium, Tehran

Attendance: 32,170

Referee: Hettikamkanamge Perera (Sri Lanka)

16 April 2018 (2018-04-16)

19:00  UTC+4

Al-Wasl	1–2	Nasaf Qarshi
Fabio Lima 33'	Live Report Stats Report	Mukhitdinov 45+2' Abdixolikov 48'

Zabeel Stadium, Dubai

Attendance: 250

Referee: Mohd Amirul Izwan Yaacob (Malaysia)

Group D

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification		EST	AIN	RAY	HIL
1	Esteghlal	6	3	3	0	9	5	+4	12	Advance to knockout stage		—	1–1	2–0	1–0
2	Al-Ain	6	2	4	0	10	6	+4	10			2–2	—	1–1	2–1
3	Al-Rayyan	6	1	3	2	7	11	−4	6			2–2	1–4	—	2–1
4	Al-Hilal	6	0	2	4	3	7	−4	2			0–1	0–0	1–1	—

Source: AFC
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers

13 February 2018 (2018-02-13)

18:10  UTC+3

Al-Rayyan	2–2	Esteghlal
Hamdallah 18' Tabata 28'	Live Report Stats Report	Thiam 6' Ali Ghorbani 88'

Jassim bin Hamad Stadium, Al Rayyan

Attendance: 5,038

Referee: Hettikamkanamge Perera (Sri Lanka)

13 February 2018 (2018-02-13)

20:25  UTC+3

Al-Hilal	0–0	Al-Ain
	Live Report Stats Report

King Saud University Stadium, Riyadh

Attendance: 24,010

Referee: Ahmed Al-Kaf (Oman)

---

20 February 2018 (2018-02-20)

19:10  UTC+4

Al-Ain	1–1	Al-Rayyan
Berg 10' (pen.)	Live Report Stats Report	Hamdallah 28' (pen.)

Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain

Attendance: 8,856

Referee: Mohanad Qassim (Iraq)

20 February 2018 (2018-02-20)

19:30  UTC+4

Esteghlal	1–0	Al-Hilal
Thiam 46'	Live Report Stats Report

Al-Seeb Stadium, Seeb (Oman) ^{[note 4]}

Attendance: 4,175

Referee: Ryuji Sato (Japan)

---

6 March 2018 (2018-03-06)

19:20  UTC+4

Al-Ain	2–2	Esteghlal
Berg 63' Khalil 89' (pen.)	Live Report Stats Report	Thiam 52', 77'

Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain

Attendance: 10,036

Referee: Mohd Amirul Izwan Yaacob (Malaysia)

6 March 2018 (2018-03-06)

20:15  UTC+3

Al-Hilal	1–1	Al-Rayyan
Al-Zori 58'	Live Report Stats Report	Moutouali 3'

King Saud University Stadium, Riyadh

Attendance: 22,535

Referee: Ravshan Irmatov (Uzbekistan)

---

12 March 2018 (2018-03-12)

18:15  UTC+3

Al-Rayyan	2–1	Al-Hilal
Hamdallah 44' (pen.) Tabata 66'	Live Report Stats Report	Al-Qahtani 90' (pen.)

Jassim bin Hamad Stadium, Al Rayyan

Attendance: 9,138

Referee: Mohd Amirul Izwan Yaacob (Malaysia)

12 March 2018 (2018-03-12)

19:00  UTC+3:30

Esteghlal	1–1	Al-Ain
Thiam 42' (pen.)	Live Report Stats Report	Shiotani 78'

Azadi Stadium, Tehran

Attendance: 90,000

Referee: Liu Kwok Man (Hong Kong)

---

2 April 2018 (2018-04-02)

19:30  UTC+4

Al-Ain	2–1	Al-Hilal
Berg 40' (pen.), 45+2' (pen.)	Live Report Stats Report	Al-Breik 7'

Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain

Attendance: 15,126

Referee: Ma Ning (China)

2 April 2018 (2018-04-02)

20:00  UTC+4:30

Esteghlal	2–0	Al-Rayyan
Djeparov 4' Ghafouri 58' (pen.)	Live Report Stats Report

Azadi Stadium, Tehran

Attendance: 37,221

Referee: Kim Dong-jin (South Korea)

---

16 April 2018 (2018-04-16)

18:45  UTC+3

Al-Hilal	0–1	Esteghlal
	Live Report Stats Report	Ghafouri 36'

Al Kuwait Sports Club Stadium, Kuwait City (Kuwait) ^{[note 4]}

Attendance: 4,500

Referee: Hiroyuki Kimura (Japan)

16 April 2018 (2018-04-16)

18:45  UTC+3

Al-Rayyan	1–4	Al-Ain
Soria 85'	Live Report Stats Report	El Shahat 11' O. Abdulrahman 55' Berg 58', 78'

Jassim bin Hamad Stadium, Al Rayyan

Attendance: 6,178

Referee: Ravshan Irmatov (Uzbekistan)

Group E

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification		JEO	TJQ	KSW	KIT
1	Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors	6	5	0	1	22	9	+13	15	Advance to knockout stage		—	6–3	3–2	3–0
2	Tianjin Quanjian	6	4	1	1	15	11	+4	13			4–2	—	3–2	3–0
3	Kashiwa Reysol	6	1	1	4	6	10	−4	4			0–2	1–1	—	1–0
4	Kitchee	6	1	0	5	1	14	−13	3			0–6	0–1	1–0	—

Source: AFC
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers

13 February 2018 (2018-02-13)

19:30  UTC+9

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors	3–2	Kashiwa Reysol
Lee Dong-gook 55', 84' Kim Jin-su 75'	Live Report Stats Report	Lopes 10' Esaka 27'

Jeonju World Cup Stadium, Jeonju

Attendance: 8,704

Referee: Alireza Faghani (Iran)

13 February 2018 (2018-02-13)

20:00  UTC+8

Tianjin Quanjian	3–0	Kitchee
Modeste 32' Paulinho 36' (o.g.) Sun Ke 39'	Live Report Stats Report

Tianjin Olympic Center Stadium, Tianjin

Attendance: 21,213

Referee: Abdulrahman Al-Jassim (Qatar)

---

20 February 2018 (2018-02-20)

19:30  UTC+9

Kashiwa Reysol	1–1	Tianjin Quanjian
Cristiano 52'	Live Report Stats Report	Pato 88'

Kashiwa Soccer Stadium, Kashiwa

Attendance: 6,776

Referee: Ahmed Al-Kaf (Oman)

20 February 2018 (2018-02-20)

20:00  UTC+8

Kitchee	0–6	Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
	Live Report Stats Report	Adriano 6' (pen.), 14', 45+1' (pen.) Kim Jin-su 25' Alves 32' Lee Dong-gook 90+3'

Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

Attendance: 13,519

Referee: Rowan Arumughan (India)

---

6 March 2018 (2018-03-06)

19:00  UTC+9

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors	6–3	Tianjin Quanjian
Kim Shin-wook 24', 60', 64' Han Kyo-won 42' Lopes 56' Choi Bo-kyung 72'	Live Report Stats Report	Zhang Cheng 10' Zhao Xuri 79' Pato 89' (pen.)

Jeonju World Cup Stadium, Jeonju

Attendance: 8,691

Referee: Mohammed Abdulla (United Arab Emirates)

6 March 2018 (2018-03-06)

19:30  UTC+9

Kashiwa Reysol	1–0	Kitchee
Ito 66'	Live Report Stats Report

Kashiwa Soccer Stadium, Kashiwa

Attendance: 5,541

Referee: Ilgiz Tantashev (Uzbekistan)

---

14 March 2018 (2018-03-14)

20:00  UTC+8

Kitchee	1–0	Kashiwa Reysol
Cheng Chin Lung 90+2'	Live Report Stats Report

Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

Attendance: 7,771

Referee: Adham Makhadmeh (Jordan)

14 March 2018 (2018-03-14)

20:00  UTC+8

Tianjin Quanjian	4–2	Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
Wang Yongpo 8' Zhang Cheng 55' Modeste 84' Pato 90+3'	Live Report Stats Report	Kim Shin-wook 37' Adriano 67'

Tianjin Olympic Center Stadium, Tianjin

Attendance: 15,314

Referee: Aziz Asimov (Uzbekistan)

---

4 April 2018 (2018-04-04)

19:30  UTC+9

Kashiwa Reysol	0–2	Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
	Live Report Stats Report	Lopes 16' Lee Dong-gook 77'

Kashiwa Soccer Stadium, Kashiwa

Attendance: 7,187

Referee: Turki Al-Khudhayr (Saudi Arabia)

4 April 2018 (2018-04-04)

20:00  UTC+8

Kitchee	0–1	Tianjin Quanjian
	Live Report Stats Report	Modeste 89'

Mong Kok Stadium, Hong Kong ^{[note 5]}

Attendance: 6,299

Referee: Muhammad Taqi (Singapore)

---

18 April 2018 (2018-04-18)

20:00  UTC+9

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors	3–0	Kitchee
Lee Seung-gi 72' Kim Shin-wook 79' Lim Sun-young 87'	Live Report Stats Report

Jeonju World Cup Stadium, Jeonju

Attendance: 4,487

Referee: Chris Beath (Australia)

18 April 2018 (2018-04-18)

19:00  UTC+8

Tianjin Quanjian	3–2	Kashiwa Reysol
Zhao Xuri 24', 30' Yang Xu 64'	Live Report Stats Report	Koizumi 39' Segawa 69'

Tianjin Olympic Center Stadium, Tianjin

Attendance: 17,418

Referee: Mohammed Abdulla (United Arab Emirates)

Group F

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification		SSI	ULS	MEL	KAW
1	Shanghai SIPG	6	3	2	1	10	6	+4	11	Advance to knockout stage		—	2–2	4–1	1–1
2	Ulsan Hyundai	6	2	3	1	15	11	+4	9			0–1	—	6–2	2–1
3	Melbourne Victory	6	2	2	2	11	16	−5	8			2–1	3–3	—	1–0
4	Kawasaki Frontale	6	0	3	3	6	9	−3	3			0–1	2–2	2–2	—

Source: AFC
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers

13 February 2018 (2018-02-13)

19:30  UTC+11

Melbourne Victory	3–3	Ulsan Hyundai
George 26', 37' Williams 54'	Live Report Stats Report	Oršić 24', 51' Windbichler 34'

Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, Melbourne

Attendance: 5,127

Referee: Nawaf Shukralla (Bahrain)

13 February 2018 (2018-02-13)

19:00  UTC+9

Kawasaki Frontale	0–1	Shanghai SIPG
	Live Report Stats Report	Elkeson 23'

Todoroki Athletics Stadium, Kawasaki

Attendance: 12,193

Referee: Adham Makhadmeh (Jordan)

---

20 February 2018 (2018-02-20)

19:00  UTC+9

Ulsan Hyundai	2–1	Kawasaki Frontale
Jung Jae-yong 42' Lee Yeong-jae 66'	Live Report Stats Report	Chinen 85'

Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium, Ulsan

Attendance: 2,398

Referee: Fahad Al-Mirdasi (Saudi Arabia)

20 February 2018 (2018-02-20)

20:00  UTC+8

Shanghai SIPG	4–1	Melbourne Victory
Hulk 27' (pen.) Wu Lei 41' Oscar 47', 77'	Live Report Stats Report	Berisha 69' (pen.)

Shanghai Stadium, Shanghai

Attendance: 16,697

Referee: Ali Sabah (Iraq)

---

7 March 2018 (2018-03-07)

19:00  UTC+9

Kawasaki Frontale	2–2	Melbourne Victory
Elsinho 28' Noborizato 55'	Live Report Stats Report	Berisha 36' George 90+3' (pen.)

Todoroki Athletics Stadium, Kawasaki

Attendance: 11,189

Referee: Abdulrahman Al-Jassim (Qatar)

7 March 2018 (2018-03-07)

20:00  UTC+8

Shanghai SIPG	2–2	Ulsan Hyundai
Oscar 38', 70'	Live Report Stats Report	Windbichler 37' Kim In-sung 68'

Shanghai Stadium, Shanghai

Attendance: 20,757

Referee: Hettikamkanamge Perera (Sri Lanka)

---

13 March 2018 (2018-03-13)

19:30  UTC+11

Melbourne Victory	1–0	Kawasaki Frontale
Barbarouses 90'	Live Report Stats Report

Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, Melbourne

Attendance: 6,639

Referee: Ammar Al-Jeneibi (United Arab Emirates)

13 March 2018 (2018-03-13)

19:00  UTC+9

Ulsan Hyundai	0–1	Shanghai SIPG
	Live Report Stats Report	Elkeson 50'

Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium, Ulsan

Attendance: 4,040

Referee: Omar Al-Yaqoubi (Oman)

---

4 April 2018 (2018-04-04)

19:00  UTC+9

Ulsan Hyundai	6–2	Melbourne Victory
Júnior 12', 67' Lim Jong-eun 20' Oršić 38', 75' Kim Seung-jun 55'	Live Report Stats Report	Athiu 72' Barbarouses 74'

Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium, Ulsan

Attendance: 834

Referee: Alireza Faghani (Iran)

4 April 2018 (2018-04-04)

20:00  UTC+8

Shanghai SIPG	1–1	Kawasaki Frontale
Elkeson 68'	Live Report Stats Report	Chinen 74'

Shanghai Stadium, Shanghai

Attendance: 21,657

Referee: Valentin Kovalenko (Uzbekistan)

---

18 April 2018 (2018-04-18)

19:00  UTC+9

Kawasaki Frontale	2–2	Ulsan Hyundai
Suzuki 2' Hasegawa 43'	Live Report Stats Report	Park Yong-woo 47' Lee Yeong-jae 50'

Todoroki Athletics Stadium, Kawasaki

Attendance: 8,422

Referee: Khamis Al-Marri (Qatar)

18 April 2018 (2018-04-18)

20:00  UTC+10

Melbourne Victory	2–1	Shanghai SIPG
Waring 40' Ingham 68'	Live Report Stats Report	Lin Chuangyi 45'

Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, Melbourne

Attendance: 7,148

Referee: Turki Al-Khudhayr (Saudi Arabia)

Group G

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification		GZE	BUR	CER	JEJ
1	Guangzhou Evergrande	6	3	3	0	12	6	+6	12	Advance to knockout stage		—	1–1	3–1	5–3
2	Buriram United	6	2	3	1	7	6	+1	9			1–1	—	2–0	0–2
3	Cerezo Osaka	6	2	2	2	6	8	−2	8			0–0	2–2	—	2–1
4	Jeju United	6	1	0	5	6	11	−5	3			0–2	0–1	0–1	—

Source: AFC
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers

14 February 2018 (2018-02-14)

17:00  UTC+8

Guangzhou Evergrande	1–1	Buriram United
Goulart 16'	Live Report Stats Report	Edgar 57'

Tianhe Stadium, Guangzhou

Attendance: 28,893

Referee: Ravshan Irmatov (Uzbekistan)

14 February 2018 (2018-02-14)

19:45  UTC+9

Jeju United	0–1	Cerezo Osaka
	Live Report Stats Report	Mizunuma 90+3'

Jeju World Cup Stadium, Seogwipo

Attendance: 3,993

Referee: Ali Abdulnabi (Bahrain)

---

21 February 2018 (2018-02-21)

19:00  UTC+9

Cerezo Osaka	0–0	Guangzhou Evergrande
	Live Report Stats Report

Yanmar Stadium Nagai, Osaka

Attendance: 9,885

Referee: Ammar Al-Jeneibi (United Arab Emirates)

21 February 2018 (2018-02-21)

18:00  UTC+7

Buriram United	0–2	Jeju United
	Live Report Stats Report	Lee Chang-min 2' Cruz 21' (pen.)

Chang Arena, Buriram

Attendance: 10,041

Referee: Khamis Al-Marri (Qatar)

---

6 March 2018 (2018-03-06)

18:00  UTC+7

Buriram United	2–0	Cerezo Osaka
Túñez 2' Edgar 54'	Live Report Stats Report

Chang Arena, Buriram

Attendance: 6,958

Referee: Fahad Al-Mirdasi (Saudi Arabia)

6 March 2018 (2018-03-06)

20:00  UTC+8

Guangzhou Evergrande	5–3	Jeju United
Alan 45+4' Goulart 52', 57' (pen.), 86', 90+2'	Live Report Stats Report	Jin Seong-uk 20' Cruz 29' Lee Chang-min 90+3'

Tianhe Stadium, Guangzhou

Attendance: 37,693

Referee: Peter Green (Australia)

---

14 March 2018 (2018-03-14)

19:00  UTC+9

Cerezo Osaka	2–2	Buriram United
Yang Dong-hyun 65' Sugimoto 88'	Live Report Stats Report	Yang Dong-hyun 11' (o.g.) Diogo 71'

Yanmar Stadium Nagai, Osaka

Attendance: 8,479

Referee: Mohanad Qassim (Iraq)

14 March 2018 (2018-03-14)

19:00  UTC+9

Jeju United	0–2	Guangzhou Evergrande
	Live Report Stats Report	Gudelj 27' Alan 37'

Jeju World Cup Stadium, Seogwipo

Attendance: 4,035

Referee: Muhammad Taqi (Singapore)

---

3 April 2018 (2018-04-03)

19:00  UTC+9

Cerezo Osaka	2–1	Jeju United
Katayama 16' Kakitani 34'	Live Report Stats Report	Jin Seong-uk 90+2'

Yanmar Stadium Nagai, Osaka

Attendance: 9,066

Referee: Ilgiz Tantashev (Uzbekistan)

3 April 2018 (2018-04-03)

18:00  UTC+7

Buriram United	1–1	Guangzhou Evergrande
Yoo Jun-soo 90+2'	Live Report Stats Report	Zheng Long 20'

Chang Arena, Buriram

Attendance: 10,533

Referee: Mohammed Abdulla (United Arab Emirates)

---

17 April 2018 (2018-04-17)

19:00  UTC+8

Guangzhou Evergrande	3–1	Cerezo Osaka
Huang Bowen 6' Alan 57', 86'	Live Report Stats Report	Fukumitsu 10'

Tianhe Stadium, Guangzhou

Attendance: 39,692

Referee: Nawaf Shukralla (Bahrain)

17 April 2018 (2018-04-17)

20:00  UTC+9

Jeju United	0–1	Buriram United
	Live Report Stats Report	Korrakot 54'

Jeju World Cup Stadium, Seogwipo

Attendance: 1,355

Referee: Alireza Faghani (Iran)

Group H

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification		SSB	KAS	SYD	SSH
1	Suwon Samsung Bluewings	6	3	1	2	8	7	+1	10	Advance to knockout stage		—	1–2	1–4	1–1
2	Kashima Antlers	6	2	3	1	8	6	+2	9			0–1	—	1–1	1–1
3	Sydney FC	6	1	3	2	7	8	−1	6			0–2	0–2	—	0–0
4	Shanghai Shenhua	6	0	5	1	6	8	−2	5			0–2	2–2	2–2	—

Source: AFC
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers

14 February 2018 (2018-02-14)

19:30  UTC+11

Sydney FC	0–2	Suwon Samsung Bluewings
	Live Report Stats Report	Damjanović 62', 76' (pen.)

Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney

Attendance: 6,349

Referee: Mohammed Abdulla (United Arab Emirates)

14 February 2018 (2018-02-14)

19:00  UTC+9

Kashima Antlers	1–1	Shanghai Shenhua
Endo 51'	Live Report Stats Report	Moreno 3'

Kashima Soccer Stadium, Kashima

Attendance: 9,192

Referee: Muhammad Taqi (Singapore)

---

21 February 2018 (2018-02-21)

19:00  UTC+9

Suwon Samsung Bluewings	1–2	Kashima Antlers
Cristovam 89'	Live Report Stats Report	Kanazaki 8', 59'

Suwon World Cup Stadium, Suwon

Attendance: 4,870

Referee: Abdulrahman Al-Jassim (Qatar)

21 February 2018 (2018-02-21)

20:00  UTC+8

Shanghai Shenhua	2–2	Sydney FC
Martins 26' Guarín 39'	Live Report Stats Report	Wilkshire 28' Brosque 34'

Hongkou Football Stadium, Shanghai

Attendance: 22,918

Referee: Valentin Kovalenko (Uzbekistan)

---

7 March 2018 (2018-03-07)

19:30  UTC+11

Sydney FC	0–2	Kashima Antlers
	Live Report Stats Report	Doi 40' Ueda 87'

Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney

Attendance: 6,442

Referee: Ahmed Al-Kaf (Oman)

7 March 2018 (2018-03-07)

19:00  UTC+9

Suwon Samsung Bluewings	1–1	Shanghai Shenhua
Lee Ki-je 47'	Live Report Stats Report	Moreno 71' (pen.)

Suwon World Cup Stadium, Suwon

Attendance: 3,904

Referee: Nivon Robesh Gamini (Sri Lanka)

---

13 March 2018 (2018-03-13)

19:00  UTC+9

Kashima Antlers	1–1	Sydney FC
Kanazaki 27'	Live Report Stats Report	Simon 70'

Kashima Soccer Stadium, Kashima

Attendance: 8,636

Referee: Khamis Al-Marri (Qatar)

13 March 2018 (2018-03-13)

20:00  UTC+8

Shanghai Shenhua	0–2	Suwon Samsung Bluewings
	Live Report Stats Report	Damjanović 51' Choi Sung-keun 88'

Hongkou Football Stadium, Shanghai

Attendance: 21,990

Referee: Ali Abdulnabi (Bahrain)

---

3 April 2018 (2018-04-03)

20:00  UTC+9

Suwon Samsung Bluewings	1–4	Sydney FC
Damjanović 24'	Live Report Stats Report	Ninković 23' Brosque 31' Mierzejewski 79' Bobô 90+1'

Suwon World Cup Stadium, Suwon

Attendance: 3,756

Referee: Fahad Al-Mirdasi (Saudi Arabia)

3 April 2018 (2018-04-03)

20:00  UTC+8

Shanghai Shenhua	2–2	Kashima Antlers
Moreno 13' (pen.) Mao Jianqing 28'	Live Report Stats Report	Suzuki 58' Leandro 63'

Hongkou Football Stadium, Shanghai

Attendance: 20,028

Referee: Mohd Amirul Izwan Yaacob (Malaysia)

---

17 April 2018 (2018-04-17)

20:00  UTC+10

Sydney FC	0–0	Shanghai Shenhua
	Live Report Stats Report

Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney

Attendance: 9,855

Referee: Mohanad Qassim (Iraq)

17 April 2018 (2018-04-17)

19:00  UTC+9

Kashima Antlers	0–1	Suwon Samsung Bluewings
	Live Report Stats Report	Damjanović 31'

Kashima Soccer Stadium, Kashima

Attendance: 6,229

Referee: Ammar Al-Jeneibi (United Arab Emirates)

Notes

1. The seeding of the second group stage team from Saudi Arabia and the first group stage team from Uzbekistan was determined by draw.
2. The identity of the second group stage team from Japan was not known at the time of the draw.
3. The seeding of the first group stage teams from Thailand and Hong Kong was determined by draw.
4. Matches between teams from Iran and Saudi Arabia are played on neutral venues due to deterioration of Iran–Saudi Arabia relations.
5. The Kitchee v Tianjin Quanjian match was played in Mong Kok Stadium, as the 2018 Hong Kong Sevens was held in Hong Kong Stadium in early April.

References

1. "AFC Competitions Calendar 2018". AFC. 11 January 2018.
2. "2018 AFC Champions League Competition Regulations" (PDF). AFC.
3. "AFC Champions League 2018 Official Group Stage Draw". YouTube. 6 December 2017.
4. "AFC Champions League 2018 draw concluded". AFC. 6 December 2017.
5. "AFC reinforces support for home and away football". AFC. 28 November 2017.
6. "Iranian football teams not to play in neutral venues: Ali Kafashian". persianfootball.com. 29 November 2017.
7. "Qatar crisis could affect AFC Champions League fixtures following group stage draw". sport360.com. 6 November 2017.
8. "Saudi, UAE Say Won't Play ACL Matches in Iran or Qatar". ifpnews.com. 2 December 2017.
9. "AFC Champions League matches to be played on home and away format as per AFC Regulations". AFC. 27 January 2018.
10. "UAE, Saudi Arabia denied neutral venues for Qatar encounters". AS. 29 January 2018.

External links

• AFC Champions League , the-AFC.com
• AFC Champions League 2018, stats.the-AFC.com