AFC Champions League: Group Stage Play Begins

Seven games were played on Tuesday as group stage action in the AFC Champions League commenced.


Group A:


At Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates:


Visiting Al-Gharafa and Al-Jazira battled to a 0-0 stalemate.


At Riyadh, Saudi Arabia:


Ibrahima Toure (52') and Januario (60') provided the goal power that carried Sepahan past hosts Al-Hilal 1-0.


GROUP A STANDINGS:


1. Sepahan Esfahan FC (GP: 1; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
2. Al-Gharafa (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
3. Al-Jazira (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
4. Al-Hilal (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 0)


Group B:


At Tashkent, Uzbekistan:


Al-Nassr (Saudi Arabia) (Bader Al-Mutwa [50'] and Bojan Miladinovic [OG-89']) held hosts FC Pakhtakor Tashkent (Sherzod Karimov [45'] and Kakhi Makharadze [60']) to a 2-2 deadlock.


At Tehran, Iran:


Leandro's goal at 88 minutes lifted Qatar's Al-Sadd to a 1-1 road deadlock with Esteghlal Tehran FC (Farhad Majidi scoring for the hosts at 27 minutes).


GROUP B STANDINGS:


1. FC Pakhtakor Tashkent (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
    Al-Nassr (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
3. Esteghlal Tehran FC (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
    4. Al-Sadd (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)


Group E:


At Jeju, South Korea:


Yu Dabao scored the only goal of the match at 55 minutes as Tianjin Teda FC (China) defeated Jeju United 1-0 on the road.


At Suita, Japan:


Takuya Takei (4'), Adriano (PK-9'), Lee Keun-Ho (11'), Takahiro Futagawa (62'), and Kim Seung-Yong (90'+1) each scored once as Gamba Osaka manhandled visiting Melbourne Victory 5-1.


GROUP E STANDINGS:


1. Gamba Osaka (GP: 1; GD: +4; PTS: 3)
2. Tianjin Teda FC (GP: 1; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
3. Jeju United (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 0)
4. Melbourne United (GP: 1; GD: -4; PTS: 0)


Group F:


At Hangzhou, China:


Luis Ramirez (60') and Bari Mamatil (80') each tallied once as Hangzhou Nabel Greentown FC blanked visiting Nagoya Grampus 2-0.