A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | CH | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
The 2018 AFC Champions League knockout stage was played from 7 May to 10 November 2018.[1] A total of 16 teams competed in the knockout stage to decide the champions of the 2018 AFC Champions League.[2]
Qualified teams
The winners and runners-up of each of the eight groups in the group stage advanced to the round of 16, with both West Region (Groups A–D) and East Region (Groups E–H) having eight qualified teams.
| Region | Group | Winners | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Region | A |  Al-Ahli
|
 Al-Jazira
|
| B |  Al-Duhail
|
 Zob Ahan
| |
| C | Persepolis
|
Al-Sadd
| |
| D | Esteghlal
|
Al-Ain
| |
| East Region | E |  Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
|
 Tianjin Quanjian
|
| F | Shanghai SIPG
|
Ulsan Hyundai
| |
| G | Guangzhou Evergrande
|
 Buriram United
| |
| H | Suwon Samsung Bluewings
|
 Kashima Antlers
|
Format
In the knockout stage, the 16 teams played a single-elimination tournament, with the teams split into the two regions until the final. Each tie was played on a home-and-away two-legged basis. The away goals rule, extra time (away goals do not apply in extra time) and penalty shoot-out were used to decide the winner if necessary (Regulations Article 11.3).[2]
Schedule
The schedule of each round was as follows.[1] Matches in the West Region were played on Mondays and Tuesdays, while matches in the East Region were played on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
| Round | First leg | Second leg |
|---|---|---|
| Round of 16 | 7–9 May 2018 | 14–16 May 2018 |
| Quarter-finals | 27–29 August 2018 | 17–19 September 2018 |
| Semi-finals | 2–3 October 2018 | 23–24 October 2018 |
| Final | 3 November 2018 | 10 November 2018 |
Bracket
The bracket of the knockout stage was determined as follows:
| Round | Matchups | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Round of 16 | (Group winners host second leg)
| ||
| Quarter-finals | (Matchups and order of legs decided by draw, involving four round of 16 winners each in West Region and East Region)
| ||
| Semi-finals | (Winners QF1 and QF3 host first leg, Winners QF2 and QF4 host second leg)
| ||
| Final | (Winner SF2 host first leg, Winner SF1 host second leg, as reversed from previous season's final)
|
The bracket was decided after the draw for the quarter-finals, which was held on 23 May 2018, 16:00 MYT (UTC+8), at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.[3][4][5]
| Round of 16 | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Kashima Antlers
| 3 | 1 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Shanghai SIPG
| 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Kashima Antlers
| 2 | 3 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Tianjin Quanjian
| 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Tianjin Quanjian (a)
| 0 | 2 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Guangzhou Evergrande
| 0 | 2 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Kashima Antlers
| 3 | 3 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| East Region | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Suwon Samsung Bluewings
| 2 | 3 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Buriram United
| 3 | 0 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
| 2 | 2 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
| 0 | 3 | 3 (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Suwon Samsung Bluewings (p)
| 3 | 0 | 3 (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Ulsan Hyundai
| 1 | 0 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Suwon Samsung Bluewings
| 0 | 3 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Kashima Antlers
| 2 | 0 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Persepolis
| 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Zob Ahan
| 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Esteghlal
| 0 | 3 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Esteghlal
| 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Al-Sadd
| 3 | 2 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Al-Sadd
| 2 | 2 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Al-Ahli
| 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Al-Sadd
| 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| West Region | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Persepolis
| 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Al-Ain
| 2 | 1 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Al-Duhail
| 4 | 4 | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Al-Duhail
| 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Persepolis
| 0 | 3 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Al-Jazira
| 3 | 1 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Persepolis (a)
| 2 | 2 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Round of 16
Summary
In the round of 16, the winners of one group played the runners-up of another group from the same region, with the group winners hosting the second leg, and the matchups determined by the group stage draw.
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al-Jazira
|
4–4 (a) | Persepolis
|
3–2 | 1–2 |
| Al-Sadd
|
4–3 | Al-Ahli
|
2–1 | 2–2 |
| Zob Ahan
|
2–3 | Esteghlal
|
1–0 | 1–3 |
| Al-Ain
|
3–8 | Al-Duhail
|
2–4 | 1–4 |
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tianjin Quanjian
|
2–2 (a) | Guangzhou Evergrande
|
0–0 | 2–2 |
| Buriram United
|
3–4 | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
|
3–2 | 0–2 |
| Ulsan Hyundai
|
1–3 | Suwon Samsung Bluewings
|
1–0 | 0–3 |
| Kashima Antlers
|
4–3 | Shanghai SIPG
|
3–1 | 1–2 |
West Region
| Al-Jazira | 3–2 | Persepolis |
|---|---|---|
|
Live Report Stats Report |
| Persepolis | 2–1 | Al-Jazira |
|---|---|---|
|
Live Report Stats Report |
|
4–4 on aggregate. Persepolis won on away goals.
| Al-Sadd | 2–1 | Al-Ahli |
|---|---|---|
|
Live Report Stats Report |
|
| Al-Ahli | 2–2 | Al-Sadd |
|---|---|---|
| Live Report Stats Report |
|
Al-Sadd won 4–3 on aggregate.
| Zob Ahan | 1–0 | Esteghlal |
|---|---|---|
|
Live Report Stats Report |
Esteghlal won 3–2 on aggregate.
| Al-Ain | 2–4 | Al-Duhail |
|---|---|---|
| Live Report Stats Report |
|
| Al-Duhail | 4–1 | Al-Ain |
|---|---|---|
| Live Report Stats Report |
|
Al-Duhail won 8–3 on aggregate.
East Region
2–2 on aggregate. Tianjin Quanjian won on away goals.