Sports Reporter/Doha

Esteghlal’s Freydoon Zandi (R) jumps for the ball as Al Rayyan’s Abdulla (L) defends during their AFC Champions League Group A match at the Azadi Stadium in Tehran yesterday. Esteghlal won 3-0
It was another forgettable day for Qatari clubs in the Asian Champions League as both Al Rayyan and Al Arabi fell to crushing defeats in the continent’s premier tournament.
Al Rayyan were thrashed 3-0 by Iranian side Esteghlal at Tehran’s Azadi Stadium, while in Doha Al Arabi were drubbed by the UAE’s Baniyas 4-0. It was Al Arabi’s fifth defeat in five matches.
Arash Borhani was on target twice for Esteghlal, while Sharifat found the net once as Heir Apparent Cup champions Al Rayyan were totally outplayed in front of a 50,000 crowd at Tehran’s biggest stadium.
With this defeat Al Rayyan  now have six points from five matches in Group A and face the uphill prospect of beating toppers Al Jazira of the UAE in Doha on May 15. Al Jazira have won four of their five matches and are through to the knockout phase of the tournament with 13 points, while Esteghlal are second on eight.
The misery continued for Al Arabi as Baniyas led 2-0 at halftime and pumped in two more goals later for a comprehensive win in Group B. Al Arabi, who already crashed out of the tournament, have one match remaining, on May 15 against Saudi’s Al Ittehad, to open their points tally.
On Tuesday, Qatar Stars League champs Lekhwiya were thrashed by Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli in Jeddah, while Al Gharafa barely managed to keep their hopes alive with a 2-1 win over the UAE’s Al Shabab Al Arabi.
Meanwhile, Japan’s FC Tokyo booked a place in the knock-out stages of the AFC Champions League with an entertaining 4-2 victory over Australia’s A-League champions Brisbane Roar .
Korea’s Ulsan Hyundai secured Group F’s second spot in the last 16 with a 3-2 win away against Beijing Guoan, with still one round to go in the group stages.
In Group E, Adelaide United, runners-up in 2008, made certain of going through, despite failing to find the back of the net in a scoreless draw against Uzbekistan’s Bunyodkor.
The Roar, who lost to Tokyo 2-0 at home in their previous encounter, got off to a flying start in the fourth minute when a free kick from German Thomas Broich hit the right post and Albanian Besart Berisha knocked in the rebound.
But only a minute later Hideto Takahashi lashed an equaliser in off the post from outside the box, and midway through the first half Kenta Mukuhara added a second.
Broich pulled one back in the 33rd minute, but Kazuma Watanabe was brought down by Bahrain defender Sayed Mohamed Adnan in the area at the end of the first half and hit home from the spot for the Emperor’s Cup winners to retake the lead.
Watanabe scored a second on the hour to the delight of the home fans, who had come out to see the team in torrential weather.
“We lost a goal first and then we tied it and took the lead. It was big,” said FC Tokyo’s Austrian coach Ranko Popovic.
“We were down and then up. It was a historical moment for FC Tokyo, who took part in the AFC Champions League for the first time and qualify for the next round. I’m really happy about it.”