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Lekhwiya to face Al Hilal in quarter-finals

Lekhwiya to face Al Hilal in quarter-finals

June 18, 2015 | 10:23 PM

Lekhwiya coach Michael Laudrup.Agencies/Kuala LumpurQatar’s Lekhwiya have been drawn against last year’s runners-up Al Hilal in the AFC Champions League 2015 quarter-finals during the draw in the Malaysian capital city of Kuala Lumpur yesterday.Lekhwiya advanced to the last eight after taming fellow Qatari club and 2011 ACL champions Al Sadd 4-3 on aggregate. If Lekhwiya can beat Hilal then it will be their first time in their history that they will reach the semi-finals stage of the ACL. Hilal meanwhile are gunning to make a return to the final having succumbed to Australian debutants Western Sydney Wanderers 1-0 on aggregate in the 2014 ACL final.The Saudi Arabian outfit advanced to this year’s quarter-finals after beating Iran’s Persepolis 3-1 on aggregate in the Round of 16.Winners of the 2013 edition Guangzhou Evergrande from China, who qualified for the last eight after downing Seongnam FC of Korea Republic 3-2 on aggregate, were drawn against Japan’s Kashiwa Reysol, who had defeated Seongnam’s fellow Koreans Suwon Samsung FC on the away goal rules in the Round of 16.Gamba Osaka of Japan, who beat FC Seoul 6-3 on aggregate in the Round of 16, face Korean opposition for the second time in this year’s knockout stage with the 2008 ACL champions set to face Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, the winners of the continent’s premier club competition in 2006 who booked their place in Thursday’s draw with a 2-1 aggregate victory over Chinese outfit Beijing Guoan.Al Ahli from the UAE, who had beaten compatriots and inaugural ACL champions Al Ain on the away goals rules to punch their ticket to the quarter-finals, are set to take on Iranian club Naft Tehran, who saw off Saudia Arabia’s Al Ahli to also qualify for the last eight on away goals.

Draw Resuls & FixturesDRAW RESULTS:Quarter-final 1: Al Hilal v LekhwiyaQuarter-final 2: Naft Tehran v Al Ahli (UAE)Quarter-final 3: Kashiwa Reysol v Guangzhou EvergrandeQuarter-final 4: Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors v Gamba OsakaKNOCK-OUT STAGE FIXTURESQuarter-final, First leg25 August 2015QF 1: Al Hilal v LekhwiyaQF 3: Kashiwa Reysol v Guangzhou Evergrande26 August 2015QF 2: Naft Tehran v Al AhliQF 4: Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors v Gamba Osaka15 September 2015QF Second legQF 1 Lekhwiya v Al HilalQF 3 Guangzhou Evergrande v Kashiwa Reysol16 September 2015QF 2: Al Ahli v Naft TehranQF 4 (2nd Leg): Gamba Osaka v Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors29 September 2015Semi-final 1 (1st Leg): Winner of QF1 v Winner of QF230 September 2015Semi-final 2 (1st Leg): Winner of QF3 v Winner of QF420 October 2015Semi-final 1 (2nd Leg): Winner of QF2 v Winner of QF121 October 2015Semi-final 2 (2nd Leg): Winner of QF4 v Winner of QF37 November 2015Final (1st Leg) Saturday, 21 November 2015Final (2nd Leg)

June 18, 2015 | 10:23 PM