Group A – Kuruvchi (Bunyodkor)

Nobody had given the newbies from Uzbekistan a whiff of a chance of emerging unscathed from a group packed with heavyweights like two-time champions Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia, the 2007 tournament runners-up from Iran , Sepahan, and Al Ittihad of Syria .

But the Tashkent unknowns, led by former legendary midfielder Mirdjalol Kasimov, played a courageous brand of football, catching their rivals unawares to become the latest success story unfolding in the plains of Central Asia.

They lost their first match narrowly but came back strongly to win the next four on the trot, three of these in their citadel of the MHSK Stadium. Qualification was in the bag for the club which was founded only in 2005 with a match to spare.

With the quarter-final draw pitting them against Iran’s Saipa, another impressive newcomer to the AFC Champions League fold, it remains to be seen who will win the bragging rights of being this edition’s star debutants.

Group B – Saipa

Saipa went into the fray as Iran Pro League champions, spurred by their new coach Ali Daei’s personal charisma and exploits as a striker. And the team from Karaj did not disappoint, forging ahead from a pool comprising Iraqi side Al Quwa Al Jawiya, UAE’s Al Wasl and Kuwait SC from Kuwait .

Their campaign might have started with a demoralising draw but Saipa never looked like losing the plot as they kept their target firmly within their crosshairs.

Powered by the presence of Daei on the sidelines, and the inspirational captaincy of playmaker Ebrahim Sadeghi, Saipa were one of the first teams to qualify for the last eight. They also hold the record, along with Adelaide United of Australia and Gamba Osaka of Japan, of not losing a single match in the group stage.

Saipa’s quarter-final rivals – Tashkent side Kuruvchi coached by another legend Mirdjalol Kasimov – are also first-timers and the battle promises to be riveting, if only because the Karaj club has a new coach in veteran German Pierre Littbarski after Daei chose to quit to concentrate on steering Team Melli.

Group C – Al Karama

ACL knockout phase ever-presents since they reached the final in 2006, Al Karama left it real late this time round, sending their passionate supporters into a tizzy.

A 1-0 defeat to UAE’s Al Wahda on the penultimate match day left Mohamed Kwid’s men staring at elimination but a goalless stalemate against Saudi Cup winners Al Ahli in their final match salvaged the situation and they scraped through ahead of the UAE side.

The Homs-based club started with a merciless 4-1 rout of Al Wahda at their stronghold of the Khaled Ibn Al Waleed Stadium and drew their next against Al Ahli before a shocking 2-0 defeat at the hands of Qatari powerhouse Al Sadd pegged them back.

They recovered by paying Al Sadd back in the same coin with a 1-0 win but Al Wahda took revenge on the Syrians in the last match but one, setting the stage for a dramatic finish in the group.

Al Karama will have to be at their sharpest if they hope to repeat their heroics of previous years against a determined rival, Gamba Osaka of Japan, especially with Kwid now gone.

Group D – Al Qadsia

A winning start goes a long way in ensuring a smooth campaign and this is particularly true for Al Qadsia.

The Cup champions from Kuwait travelled to Tashkent for their group opener against Pakhtakor and returned with a slender 1-0 victory. This result proved crucial in the end as it helped Al Qadsia pip Pakhtakor to a quarter-final berth on the strength of a superior head-to-head record following a 2-2 home draw in the return fixture.

A heavy 4-2 defeat to Arbil of Iraq on the final match day had little influence on the final outcome even as Pakhtakor pulled out all stops to beat Qatar’s Al Gharafa 2-0. Both Al Qadsia and Pakhtakor ended their outings with 11 points to show but the Central Asians were left rueing their opening day loss.

Al Qadsia have flattered to deceive for long in the knockout stage and this is yet another chance for the Kuwaitis to make good on their promise. Their quarter-final rivals are none other than reigning Asian club champions from Japan, Urawa Red Diamonds.

Group E – Adelaide United

The first club from Down Under to fly the Australian flag in the AFC Champions League knockout stage, Adelaide United were made to work hard for their spot though they did not lose a single match.

A promising start to their quest was ensured when they came away 2-0 winners from Pohang Steelers of Korea before a goalless draw against Chinese champions Changchun Yatai gave them food for thought.

But Adelaide infused life into their campaign with two back-to-back wins against group punching-bags Binh Duong of Vietnam though Changchun kept in the hunt for the leadership spot with decent results which paved the way for a make-or-break thriller between the two on the final match day.

Eventually, a lacklustre 0-0 draw, thanks to Changchun’s inefficiency in piercing a determined Adelaide defensive wall, saw the Reds finish on top of the group and advance deeper into the competition. But any thoughts of further progression are likely to be met with fierce resistance from battle-hardened Japanese champions Kashima Antlers.

Group F – Kashima Antlers

The Japanese champions made the most of their easy group, inflicting heavy punishment on rivals en route to a berth in the last eight.

Oswaldo De Oliveira’s men plundered 28 goals, the most in the group stage, against hapless opponents like Krung Thai Bank of Thailand and Vietnam’s Nam Dinh, averaging 4.66 goals per match.

A 9-1 humiliation of Krung Thai in the opening match set the Japanese cruising and this was followed by a 6-0 drubbing of Nam Dinh. The only team in the group with a chance of checking Kashima’s rampage was Beijing Guoan and the Chinese outfit expectedly gave chase until the end. Their first encounter ended 1-0 in favour of Kashima before Beijing returned the favour as hosts.

A shock 5-3 reverse to Krung Thai on the last match day proved to be Beijing’s undoing as they were neck and neck with Kashima who downed Nam Dinh 4-0.

Kashima host Australia’s Adelaide United in the first leg of the quarter-finals and this has all the ingredients of a humdinger with the A-League team straining to prove a point or two.

Group G – Gamba Osaka

Gamba were the first team to reach the last eight with two matches in hand but two of their four wins were by a slender one-goal margin, not to forget the two nerve-racking draws which stoked the excitement.

The 2007 Japanese Nabisco Cup champions started with an unimpressive 1-1 draw against unlikely Thai rivals Chonburi FC before ekeing out a 4-3 away win over Chunnam Dragons of Korea.

Another seven-goal drama followed against Australia’s Melbourne Victory with the Japanese outfit coming out on top before Akira Nishino’s men asserted their control with a confident 2-0 win over the same rivals at home. They made it four wins in a row with a 2-0 defeat of Chonburi but they were home and dry by then, allowing for a relaxed 1-1 draw against Chunnam.

Syria’s Al Karama, 2006 losing finalists, are their quarter-final rivals and the East-West match-up has edge-of-the-seat thriller written all over it.