Two games were played on Wednesday as the quarterfinal round of the UEFA Champions League came to a conclusion.
At Barcelona:
Pedro (that's him celebrating) scored what proved to be the series-winning goal in the 71st minute as Barcelona gained a 1-1 game-two home draw with Paris Saint-Germain, enabling the Catalans, with the two-game series aggregate at 3-3, to advance to the semifinal round (for the sixth consecutive year) on away goals.
At Turin, Italy:
Mario Mandzukic (64', that's him celebrating with teammates) and Claudio Pizarro (90'+1) each scored a goal in the second half as Bayern Munich registered a second successfive 2-0 win over Juventus, this time on the road, and won their two-game series 4-0 on aggregate.
AFP photos
For the semifinal round, the tournament will have two clubs from Spain (Real Madrid and Barcelona) and two from Germany (Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund).
Eight games were played in the group stage of the AFC Champions League on Wednesday.
Group A:
At Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates:
Martins Adriano's equalizer in the 33rd minute lifted El Jaish to a 1-1 road draw with Al-Jazira. Sultan Bargash scored at 25 minutes for the hosts.
At Tabriz, Iran:
Sebastian Tagliabue scored the game's lone goal in the 84th minute, leading Al-Shabab to a 1-0 road win over Tractor Sazi and a berth in the knockout stage.
GROUP A STANDINGS:
1. x-Al-Shabab (GP: 4; GD: +4; PTS: 10)
2. El Jaish (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 5)
3. Tractor Sazi FC (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 4)
4. Al-Jazira (GP: 4; GD: -4; PTS: 2)
x-Clinched berth in the knockout stage
Group C:
At Doha, Qatar:
Lawrence Quaye (9'), Nene (55'), and Fahad Al-Shammari (79') each delivered a goal as Al-Gharafa defeated visiting Al-Nasr 3-1, eliminating the Emirates club from the tournament.
At Buraidah, Saudi Arabia:
Mustafa Al-Bassas scored twice (44', 50') as Al-Ahli locked up a berth in the knockout stage with a 4-1 dominating of visiting Sepahan, putting the Iranian club on the cusp of elimination.
GROUP C STANDINGS:
1. x-Al-Ahli (GP: 4; GD: +8; PTS: 12)
2. Al-Gharafa (GP: 4; GD: +4; PTS: 9)
3. Sepahan Isfahan FC (GP: 4; GD: -4; PTS: 3)
4. z-Al-Nasr (GP: 4; GD: -8; PTS: 0)
x-Clinched berth in the knockout stage
z-Eliminated from tournament
Group E:
At Sendai, Japan:
Atsushi Yanagisawa scored the only goal of the match in the 16th minute as Vegalta Sendai knocked off visiting FC Seoul 1-0.
At Buriram, Thailand:
Suchao Nuchnum (39') and Charyl Chappius (63') each scored a goal as Buriram United defeated visiting Jiangsu Sainty 2-0.
GROUP E STANDINGS:
1. FC Seoul (GP: 4; GD: +4; PTS: 7)
2. Buriram United (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 5)
3. Vegalta Sendai (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 5)
4. Jiangsu Sainty (GP: 4; GD: -4; PTS: 4)
Group G:
At Pohang, South Korea:
Hwang Jin-Sung's equalizer in the 67th minute enabled Pohang Steelers to salvage a 1-1 home draw with Sanfrecce Hiroshima. Naoki Ishihara scored in the 62nd minute for the hosts who have now been eliminated from the tournament.
At Beijing, China:
Fozil Musaev scored the only goal of the match in the 62nd minute as FC Bunyodkor defeated Beijing Guoan 1-0 on the road as the Uzbekistani club found themselves atop the Group G standings with two games remaining.
GROUP G STANDINGS:
1. FC Bunyodkor (GP: 4; GD: +3; PTS: 8)
2. Pohang Steelers (GP: 4; GD: +1; PTS: 6)
3. Beijing Guoan (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 5
4. z-Sanfrecce Hiroshima (GP: 4; GD: -4; PTS: 1)
z-Eliminated from tournament
Four games were played in the Copa Libertadores' group stage on Thursday.
Group Two:
At Victoria, Argentina:
Leandro Leguizamon (24'), Matias Perez Garcia (49'), and Ruben Botta (54') each scored a goal as Tigre defeated visiting Sporting Cristal 3-1.
Group Four:
At Montevideo, Uruguay:
Sebastian Gallegos (38'), Marcelo Zalayeta (74'), and Matias Aguirregaray (76') each delivered a goal as Penarol defeated visiting Deportes Iquique 3-1 in a contest of two clubs that exited from the tournament on Tuesday as Penarol were eliminated.
At Buenos Aires:
Club Sport Emelec held hosts Velez Sarsfield to a 0-0 stalemate as both clubs advanced to the knockout stage.
FINAL GROUP FOUR STANDINGS:
1. Velez Sarsfield (GP: 6; GD: +7; PTS: 13)
2. Club Sport Emelec (GP: 6; GD: +1; PTS: 10)
3. Penarol (GP: 6; GD: 0; PTS: 9)
4. Deportes Iquique (GP: 6; GD: -8; PTS: 3)
Velez Sarsfield and Club Sport Emelec advanced to the knockout stage.
Group Six:
At Ibaque, Colombia:
Cristian Borja scored twice (61', 79') as Santa Fe battled back from behind to upend fellow Colombian club Deportes Tolima 2-1 on the road and clinch a berth in the knockout stage.
At Torreon, Mexico:
Carlos Quintero scored what proved to be the series-winning goal in the 21st minute on Tuesday as Santos Laguna gained a 1-1 game-two home draw with the Seattle Sounders and took their two-match series 2-1 on aggregate as the Mexican club once again reached the final of the CONCACAF Champions League.
The second half of the UEFA Champions League's quarterfinal round commenced with two games played on Tuesday.
At Dortmund, Germany:
Marco Reus (90'+1) and Felipe Santana (90'+3, he's being seen here mobbed by teammates) each scored a goal in second-half stoppage time as Borussia Dortmund came from behind to upend Malaga 3-2 in game two at home and win their two-match series 3-2 on aggregate.
AFP photo
At Istanbul, Turkey:
Critiano Ronaldo scored twice (7', 90'+2, that's him celebrating) as Real Madrid, despite dropping a 3-2 game-two decision on the road, still won their two-game series with Galatasaray 5-3 on aggregate.
Reuters photo
Eight games were played on Tuesday as the second half of AFC Champions League group-stage play commenced.
Group B:
At Tashkent, Uzbekistan:
Goals from Sebastian Soria (1') and Youssef Msakni (68') carried Lekhwiya to a 2-2 road draw with Pakhtakor Tashkent, whose tallies came from Gulom Urunov (26') and Dame Traore (OG-55').
At Damman, Saudi Arabia:
Saleh Bashir scored twice (16', 71') as Al-Ittifaq dominated visiting Al-Shabab Al-Arabi 4-1.
GROUP B STANDINGS:
1. Lekhwiya (GP: 4; GD: +3; PTS: 8)
2. Pakhtakor Tashkent (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 7)
3. Al-Ittifaq (GP: 4; GD: +1; PTS: 4)
4. Al-Shabab Al-Arabi (GP: 4; GD: -4; PTS: 3)
Group D:
At Al Rayyan, Qatar:
Jaralla El Marri scored the winning goal in the 86th minute as Al-Rayyan defeated visiting Al-Ain 2-1.
At Tehran, Iran:
Newaf Al-Abed scored the only goal of the match in the 35th minute as Al-Hilal knocked off Esteghlal 1-0 on the road.
GROUP D STANDINGS:
1. Esteghlal (GP: 4; GD: +2; PTS: 7)
2. Al-Ain (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 6)
3. Al-Hilal (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 6)
4. Al-Rayyan (GP: 4; GD: -2; PTS: 4)
Group F:
At Jeonju, South Korea:
Seo Sang-Min's second-half stoppage-time equalizer (90'+2) enabled Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors to salvage a 2-2 home draw with Urawa Red Diamonds. Eninho scored in the 51st minute for the hosts. Daisuke Nasu (3') and Tsukasa Umesaki (7') provided the scoring for the visiting Reds.
At Nonthaburi, Thailand:
Muriqui scored twice (40', 43') during a three-minute span in the final minutes of the first half as Guangzhou Evergrande dominated Muangthong United 4-1 on the road.
GROUP F STANDINGS:
1. Guangzhou Evergrande FC (GP: 4; GD: +10; PTS: 10)
2. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (GP: 4; GD: +2; PTS: 6)
3. Urawa Red Diamonds (GP: 4; GD: -2; PTS: 4)
4. Muangthong United (GP: 4; GD: -10; PTS: 1)
Group H:
At Kashiwa, Japan:
The match between Kashiwa Reysol and visiting Suwon Samsung Bluewings ended in a 0-0 stalemate.
At Guiyang, China:
Zlatan Muslimovic (83') and Qu Bo (85') each delivered a goal two minutes apart as Guizhou Renhe came from behind to upend the visiting Central Coast Mariners 2-1.
GROUP H STANDINGS:
1. Kashiwa Reysol (GP: 4; GD: +7; PTS: 10)
2. Guizhou Renhe (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 4)
3. Central Coast Mariners (GP: 4; GD: -2; PTS: 4)
4. Suwon Samsung Bluewings (GP: 4; GD: -4; PTS: 3)
At Bridgeview, Illinois:
Maicon Santos scored twice in the waning minutes (83', 89') as the Chicago Fire, who had garnered but one goal in their previous four matches, defeated the visiting New York Red Bulls 3-1 in the lone Sunday Major League Soccer contest.
MLS STANDINGS:
EASTERN CONFERENCE:
1. Montreal (GP: 5; GF: 6; GD: +2; PTS: 12)
2. Kansas City (GP: 5; GF: 7; GD: +4; PTS: 11)
3. Houston (GP: 5; GF: 8; GD: +2; PTS: 9)
4. Columbus (GP: 5; GF: 8; GD: +5; PTS: 8)
5. Philadelphia (GP: 5; GF: 6; GD: -1; PTS: 7)
6. Toronto FC (GP: 5; GF: 7; GD: -1; PTS: 5)
7. New York (GP: 6; GF: 7; GD: -3; PTS: 5)
8. Chicago (GP: 5; GF: 4; GD: -6; PTS: 4)
9. DC United (GP: 5; GF: 2; GD: -3; PTS: 4)
10. New England (GP: 5; GF: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 4)
WESTERN CONFERENCE:
1. FC Dallas (GP: 6; GF: 10; GD: +3; PTS: 13)
2. Chivas USA (GP: 5; GF: 10; GD: +3; PTS: 10)
3. Los Angeles (GP: 4; GF: 8; GD: +5; PTS: 8)
4. San Jose (GP: 6; GF: 5; GD: -2; PTS: 8)
5. Vancouver (GP: 5; GF: 6; GD: 0; PTS: 7)
6. Real Salt Lake (GP: 6; GF: 5; GD: -1; PTS: 7)
7. Portland (GP: 5; GF: 9; GD: +1; PTS: 6)
8. Colorado (GP: 6; GF: 5; GD: -2; PTS: 5)
9. Seattle (GP: 4; GF: 2; GD: -3; PTS: 1)
The second round of the CAF Champions League concluded with eight games played on Sunday.
At Harare, Zimbabwe:
Despite dropping a 1-0 game-two decision on the road, CA Bizertin of Tunisia won their two-game series with Dynamos 3-1 on aggregate.
At Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo:
Rainford Kalaba (6', 35') and Tresor Mputu (PK-15', 80') each scored twice as TP Mazembe destroyed visiting Mochudi Centre Chiefs 6-0 in game two and ousted the club from Botswana 7-0 on aggregate.
At Enugu, Nigeria:
Oguchi Uche (PK-2') and Efe Yarehe (16') each scored a first-half goal as Enugu Rangers won both game two at home and their two-match series on aggregate with Vital'O 2-0.
At Kumasi, Ghana:
Mohamed Derrag scored the series-winning goal in the 72nd minute as JSM Bejaia gained a 1-1 game-two road draw with Asante Kotoko and, with the aggregate score at 1-1, advanced to the Round of 16 due to the away goals rule.
At Douala, Cameroon:
Despite dropping a 1-0 decision on the road in game two, FUS Rabat still took their two-game series with Union Douala 3-1 on aggregate.
At Garoua, Cameroon:
Coton Sport defeated visiting AFAD Djekanou 2-1 in game two and took out the club from Ivory Coast 3-1 on aggregate.
At Bamako, Mail:
Saint George gained a 1-1 game-two road draw with Djoliba, good enough for the Ethiopian club to win their two-game series 3-1 on aggregate.
At Cairo, Egypt:
Ahmed Abdul Zaher (5') and Emad Moteab (38') provided the scoring as Al-Ahly blanked visiting Tusker FC 2-0 in game two and took out the Kenyan club 4-1 on aggregate.
The match-ups for the second round proper (with the opening contests taking place during the period of April 19-21 and the return matches two weeks later) with the hosts of the respective series openers listed first:
Zamalek (Egypt) vs. Saint George (Ethiopia)
CA Bizertin (Tunisia) vs. Al-Ahly (Egpyt; defending champions)
Orlando Pirates (South Africa) vs. TP Mazembe (DRC)
Enugu Rangers (Nigeria) vs. Recreativo do Libolo (Angola)
JSM Bejaia (Algeria) vs. Esperance ST (Tunisia)
FUS de Rabat (Morocco) vs. Sewe Sport (Ivory Coast)
Coton Sport (Cameroon) vs. Stade Malien (Mali)
Kano Pillars (Nigeria) vs. ES Setif (Algeria)
The winners advance to the group stage; the losers qualify for the AFC Confederation Cup.
At Auckland, New Zealand:
Adam Dickinson scored twice (4', PK-62') as Auckland City defeated Waitakere United 3-1 on the road in the lone Sunday OFC Champions League group-stage contest (Group B).
GROUP B STANDINGS:
1. Auckland City (GP: 2; GD: +4; PTS: 6)
2. AS Dragon (GP: 2; GD: +3; PTS: 4)
3. Waitakere United (GP: 2; GD: -2; PTS: 1)
4. AS Mont-Dore (GP: 2; GD: -5; PTS: 0)
Five games were contested in Major League Soccer on Saturday.
At Toronto:
Goals from Justin Braun (85') and Darel Russell (90') five minutes apart in the waning moments lifted Toronto FC from a two-goal deficit to a 2-2 home draw with FC Dallas. Andrew Jacobson (34') and Blaz Perez (59') provided the scoring for the Hoops.
At Columbus, Ohio:
Dominic Oduro scored the equalizer in the 72nd minute, lifting the Columbus Crew to a 1-1 home draw with the Philadelphia Union, whose goal came in the 34th minute from Jack McInerney.
At Commerce City, Colorado:
Atiba Harris' goal in the fifth minute stood up as the Colorado Rapids blanked visiting Real Salt Lake 1-0
At Portland, Oregon:
Ryan Johnson scored both goals (55', 73') in the Portland Timbers' first win of the season, 2-0 over the visiting Houston Dynamo. It was also Caleb Porter's first win as an MLS head coach.
At Santa Clara, California:
Corey Hertzog's equalizer in the 62nd minute enabled the Vancouver Whitecaps to gain a 1-1 road draw with the San Jose Earthquakes, whose goal came through the courtesy of Chris Wondolowski in the 18th minute.
At Frankfurt, Germany:
Bastian Schweinsteiger scored the only goal of the match in the 52nd minute as Bayern Munich locked up their 23rd German Bundesliga title in record time on Saturday with a 1-0 road win over Eintracht Frankfurt.
Here's a roundup of the week's action thus far in the group stage of the OFC Champions League, with Waitakere United set to host local rivals Auckland City in Auckland, New Zealand on Sunday (Group B).
Group A:
At Honiara, Solomon Islands:
Micha Lea'alafa's stoppage-time equalizer (90'+2), along with Kidston Billy earlier tally (32') enabled the Solomon Warriors to erase a two-goal deficit and salvage a 2-2 Wednesday home draw with Ba FC. Sanni Issa provided both goals (6', 20') in the first twenty minutes for the visiting Fijian club.
At Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea:
Amicale FC held hosts PRK Hekari United to a 0-0 stalemate.
GROUP A STANDINGS:
1. Ba FC (GP: 2; GD: +2; PTS: 4)
2. Amicale FC (GP: 2; GD: +2; PTS: 4)
3. Solomon Warriors (GP: 2; GD: -2; PTS: 1)
4. PRK Hekari United (GP: 2; GD: -1; PTS: 1)
Group B:
At Noumea, New Caledonia:
Teaonui Tehau scored twice (40', 41') on Friday as AS Dragon from Tahiti dominated AS Mont-Dore 4-1 on the road.
Six games were played on Saturday as the first round of the CAF Champions League continued.
At Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo:
A 0-0 draw on the road in the second game of their two-match series with AS Vita Club was good enough for Zamalek as the Egyptian club took the series 1-0 on aggregate.
At Johannesburg, South Africa:
Khetokwakhe Makuku (19') and Mpho Makola (77') each scored a goal as Orlando Pirates blanked visiting Zanaco 2-1 in game two and took out the Zambian club 3-1 on aggregate.
At Omdurman, Sudan:'
Rasca (69') and Sindai (90'+2) each scored once as Recreativo do Libolo registered a second straight 2-1 win over Al-Merrikh, this time on the road in game two, and won their series 4-2 on aggregate.
At Rades, Tunisia:
Khalil Chamman's penalty kick in the 88th minute sealed the deal as Esperance ST took game two of their series with Primeiro de Agosto 1-0 and eliminated the Angolan club 2-0 on aggregate.
At Bamako, Mali:
Stade Malien defeated visiting Casa Sport 2-0 in game two and took their two-match series 4-1 on aggregate.
At Dolisie, Republic of the Congo:
A 0-0 road draw in game two proved much more than good enough for Kano Pillars as the Nigerian club eliminated AC Leopards 4-1 on aggregate.
At Kansas City, Kansas:
In the lone Friday Major League Soccer contest, Claudio Bieler scored the only goal of the match in the 89th minute as Sporting Kansas City defeated visiting DC United 1-0.
The second half of the Round of 32 of the CAF Champions League commenced with two games played on Friday.
At Omdurman, Sudan:
Despite dropping a 3-1 decision on the road in game two of their two match, Sewe Sport from Ivory Coast won their two-game series with Al-Hilal 5-4 on aggregate.
At Setif, Algeria:
A 4-2 home win over ASFA Yennenga in game two propelled ES Setif to a 5-4 aggregate series victory and a berth in the Round of 16.
Four games were played in the group stage of the Copa Libertadores on Thursday.
Group One:
At Montevideo, Uruguay:
Gonzalo Bueno scored twice (11', 89') as Club Nacional demolished visiting Toluca 4-0 to lock up knockout-stage both for themselves and Boca Juniors.
GROUP ONE STANDINGS:
1. x-Club Nacional (GP: 5; GD: +5; PTS: 10)
2. x-Boca Juniors (GP: 5; GD: +1; PTS: 9)
3. z-Toluca (GP: 5; GD: -4; PTS: 5)
4. z-Barcelona (GP: 5; GD: -2; PTS: 3)
x-Advanced to the knockout stage
z-Eliminated from tournament
Group Three:
At La Paz, Bolivia:
Ernesto Cristaldo scored the winning goal in the 66th minute as The Strongest moved into second place in Group Three with their 2-1 home win over Sao Paulo.
GROUP THREE STANDINGS:
1. xy-Atletico Mineiro (GP: 5; GD: +9; PTS: 15)
2. The Strongest (GP: 5; GD: -1; PTS: 6)
3. Sao Paulo FC (GP: 5; GD: -2; PTS: 4)
4. Arsenal de Sarandi (GP: 5; GD: -6; PTS: 4)
xy-Won Group Three and advanced to the knockout stage
Group Seven:
At Rosario, Argentina:
Ignacio Scocco scored twice (43', 89') as Newell's Old Boys found themselves on the cusp of advancing to the Round of 16 following their 3-1 home win over Deportivo Lara, eliminating the Venezuelan club from the tournament.
At Santiago, Chile:
Richard Ortiz scored the lone goal of the match in the 50th minute as Club Olimpia laid claim to a berth in the knockout stage with their 1-0 road win over Universidad de Chile, placing the hosts on the cusp of elimination.
GROUP SEVEN STANDINGS:
1. x-Club Olimpia (GP: 5; GD: +6; PTS: 10)
2. Newell's Old Boys (GP: 5; GD: +4; PTS: 9)
3. Universidad de Chile (GP: 5; GD: -3; PTS: 6)
4. z-Deportivo Lara (GP: 5; GD: -7; PTS: 4)
x-Advanced to the knockout stage
z-Eliminated from tournament
The Europa League's quarterfinal round commenced on Thursday with the opening game of each of the four two-game series.
At London:
Fernando Torres scored twice (16', 70') as Chelsea took game one of their series with FC Rubin Kazan 3-1 at home.
At London:
Goals from Emmanuel Adebayor (40') and Gylfi Sigurdsson (58') eanbled Tottenham Hotspur to come back from two goals down and salvage a 2-2 game-one home draw with FC Basel. Valentin Stocker (30') and Fabian Frei (35') each tallied once for the visiting Swiss club.
At Istanbul:
Late goals from Pierre Webo (PK-79') and Dirk Kuyt (90'+1) carried Fenerbahce to a 2-0 series-opening home win over ten-man Lazio.
At Lisbon:
Goals courtesy of Rodrigo (25'), Lima (65'), and Oscar Cardozo (PK-71') carried SL Benfica to a 3-1 series-opening home win over Newcastle United.
At Carson, California:
Humberto Suazo (82') and Aldo De Nigris (90') provided the late goal scoring as Monterrey came from behind to upend the home-standing Los Angeles Galaxy 2-1 on Wednesday in the opening match of their two-game CONCACAF Champions League semifinal series.
Five games were played on Wednesday as action from the group stage of the Copa Libertadores continued.
Group One:
At Buenos Aires:
Nicolas Blandi scored the only goal of the match in the ninth minute as Boca Juniors picked up a 1-0 home win over Barcelona, eliminating the Ecuadorian club from the tournament.
Group Three:
At Belo Horizonte, Brazil:
Ronaldinho scored twice (PK-15', 59') as Atletico Mineiro, who already assured themselves of winning Group Three, smothered visiting Arsenal de Sarandi 5-2.
Group Five:
At Oruro, Bolivia:
Fidel Martinez scored in the 66th minute as Club Tijuana locked up a knockout-stage berth with a 1-1 road draw against Club Deportivo San Jose. Marcelo Gomes equalized for the hosts in the 81st minute.
At Bogata, Colombia:
Danilo scored the only goal of the match in the 56th minute as defending champions Corinthians clinched a berth in the knockout stage by eliminating Millornarios 1-0 on the road.
GROUP FIVE STANDINGS:
1. x-Corinthians (GP: 5; GD: +5; PTS: 10)
2. x-Club Tijuana (GP: 5; GD: +3; PTS; 10)
3. z-Club Deportivo San Jose (GP: 5; GD: -3; PTS: 5)
4. z-Millonarios (GP: 5; GD: -5; PTS: 3)
x-Clinched berth in the knockout stage
z-Eliminated from tournament
Group Eight:
At Caracas, Venezuela:
Brian Rodriguez delivered a natural hat trick (8', 36', 63') as Huachipato crushed Caracas FC 4-0 on the road.
Two games were played on Wednesday as the UEFA Champions League reached the midway mark.
At Malaga, Spain:
The opening match between Malaga and visiting Borussia Dortmund ended in a 0-0 stalemate. Here, we see the Anchovies' Martin Demichelis battling Dortmund's Mario Gotze for the ball.
Photo from Yahoo-Eurosport website
At Madrid:
Cristiano Ronaldo (9', that's him celebrating with Karim Benzema), Karim Benzema (29', that's him celebrating with Cristiano Ronaldo), and Gonzalo Higuain (73') each delivered a goal as Real Madrid dominated Galatasaray 3-0 in their series opener.
Reuters photo
Eight games were played on Wednesday as group-stage play in the AFC Champions League reached the midway point.
Group B:
At Doha, Qatar:
Sebastian Soria scored twice (84', 90'+1) as Lekhwiya defeated visiting Pakhtakor Tashkent 3-1.
At Dubai, United Arab Emirates:
Naser Masood scored the only goal of the match in the 81st minute as Al-Shabab Al-Arabi defeated visiting Al-Ettifaq 1-0.
GROUP B STANDINGS:
1. Lekhwiya (GP: 3; GD: +3; PTS: 7)
2. Pakhtakor Tashkent (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 6)
3. Al-Shabab Al-Arabi (GP: 3; GD: -1; PTS: 3)
4. Al-Ettifaq (GP: 3; GD: -2; PTS: 1)
Group D:
At Al Ain, United Arab Emirates:
Alex Brosque scored the winning goal in the 70th minute as Al-Ain defeated visiting Al-Rayyon 2-1.
At Riyadh, Saudi Arabia:
Esteghlal knocked off Al-Hilal 2-1 on the road. Pejhman Montazeri (80') and Arash Borhani (85') provided the scoring late in the second half as the Iranian club battled back from behind.
GROUP D STANDINGS:
1. Esteghlal (GP: 3; GD: +3; PTS: 7)
2. Al-Ain (GP: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 6)
3. Al-Hilal (GP: 3; GD: -1; PTS: 3)
4. Al-Rayyan (GP: 3; GD: -3; PTS: 1)
Group F:
At Saitama, Japan:
Lee Seung-Gi (52'), Lee Dong-Gook (64'), and Eninho (70') each scored once as Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors defeated Urawa Red Diamonds 3-1 on the road.
At Guangzhou, China:
Dario Conca scored twice (51', 90'+1) as Guangzhou Evergrande blasted visiting Muangthong United 4-0
GROUP F STANDINGS:
1. Guangzhou Evergrande FC (GP: 3; GD: +7; PTS: 7)
2. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (GP: 3; GD: +2; PTS: 5)
3. Urawa Red Diamonds (GP: 3; GD: -2; PTS: 3)
4. Muangthong United (GP: 3; GD: -7; PTS: 1)
Group H:
At Gosford, New South Wales, Australia:
Trent Sainsbury scored the winning goal in the 80th minute as the Central Coast Mariners defeated visiting Guizhou Renhe 2-1.
At Suwon, South Korea:
Junya Tanaka (16', 67'), Ryoichi Kurisawa (51', 75'), and Masato Kudo (55', 90'+3) each scored twice as Kashiwa Reysol used a five-goal second half to demolish Suwon Samsung Bluewings 6-2 on the road.
GROUP H STANDINGS:
1. Kashiwa Reysol (GP: 3; GD: +7; PTS: 9)
2. Central Coast Mariners (GP: 3; GD: -1; PTS: 4)
3. Suwon Samsung Bluewings (GP: 3; GD: -4; PTS: 2)
4. Guizhou Renhe (GP: 3; GD: -2; PTS: 1)
Four games were played on Tuesday as Copa Libertadores group-stage action resumed.
Group Four:
At Iquique, Chile:
Sebastian Dominguez (7'), Lucas Romero (19'), and Jonathan Copete (51') each delivered a goal as Velez Sarsfield locked up a berth in the knockout stage with a 3-1 road win over Deportes Iquique, eliminating the Chilean club from the tournament.
At Guayaquil, Ecuador:
Cristian Nasuti (81') and Fernando Gaibor (90'+5) each scored a goal as Club Sport Emelec placed themselves on the cusp of advancing to the Round of 16 with their 2-0 home blanking of Penarol.
GROUP FOUR STANDINGS:
1. x-Velez Sarsfield (GP: 5; GD: +7; PTS: 12)
2. Club Sport Emelec (GP: 5; GD: +1; PTS: 9)
3. Penarol (GP: 5; GD: -3; PTS: 6)
4. z-Deportes Iquique (GP: 5; GD: -5; PTS: 3)
x-Clinched berth in knockout stage
z-Eliminated from tournament
Group Six:
At Cusco, Peru:
Rogerio Leichtweis delivered a natural hat trick (55', 66', 84') as Deportes Tolima dominated hosts Real Garcilaso 3-0.
At Bogata, Colombia:
Jefferson Cuero scored the only goal of the match in the 23rd minute as Santa Fe eliminated visiting Cerro Porteno from the tournament with their 1-0 triumph.
GROUP SIX STANDINGS:
1. Santa Fe (GP: 4; GD: +2; PTS: 8)
2. Deportes Tolima (GP: 4; GD: +3; PTS: 7)
3. Raul Garcilaso (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 7)
4. z-Cerro Porteno (GP: 4; GD: -4; PTS: 0)
z-Eliminated from tournament
At Seattle:
Herculez Gomez scored the only goal of the match in the 54th minute on Tuesday as Santos Laguna defeated the Seattle Sounders 1-0 on the road in the opening match of their two-game CONCACAF Champions League semifinal series.
The quarterfinal round of the UEFA Champions League opened with two games played on Tuesday.
At Paris:
Blaise Matuidi delivered the equalizer late in second-half stoppage time (90'+4) as Paris Saint-Germain salvaged a 2-2 series-opening home draw with Barcelona. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (that's him celebrating) scored in the 79th minute for the hosts. Barca, which still claim the technical advantage for the two-match series due to their two road goals, received their tallies from Lionel Messi (38', he later left the match due to an injury) and Xavi Hernandez (PK-89').
Reuters photo
At Munich, Germany:
David Alaba (1', that's him in front, celebrating with Franck Ribery right behind him) and Thomas Muller (63') each provided a goal as Bayern Munich blanked visiting Juventus 2-0 in the opening match of their two-game series.
AFP photo
