DUBAI — Last year's finalist Al-Hilal from Saudi Arabia will take on Iran's Persepolis in the first leg of their AFC Champions League Round of 16 tie Tuesday in a highly-anticipated clash at Tehran's Azadi Stadium as the race for a place in the quarterfinals of the continental competition resumes. Al-Hilal sealed a return to the knockout stage as Group C winner following a 2-1 win over Qatar's Al-Sadd in the final round of group fixtures earlier this month. And the two-time Asian champion will now travel to Tehran where Group A runner-up Persepolis will look to add to a 100 percent group stage record at home, with the three wins achieved in front of an average of 72,000 fans. “Although we made some mistakes against Al-Sadd, I have full confidence in my players and they will fix these mistakes,” said Al-Hilal coach Giorgos Donis following the victory over Al-Sadd in Riyadh a fortnight ago. Striker Nasser Al-Shamrani will, however, again be absent for Hilal due to suspension. Persepolis, meanwhile, have shaken off its domestic troubles when playing in the AFC Champions League and in its last two home ties beat two-time Saudi champion Nasr and Uzbekistan's Bunyodkor in front of capacity 100,000 crowds. Also on Tuesday, there will be an all-Qatari meeting between 2011 winner Al Sadd and domestic league champion Lekhwiya, who successfully defended their title under Danish coach Michael Laudrup. In the East, K-League Classic champion Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors will entertain Beijing Guoan with Choi Kang-hee's side hosting the Chinese Super League side in Jeonju in the first leg. Jeonbuk Motors is all too aware of the threat posed by Beijing Guo'an striker Dejan Damjanovic. The Montenegrin notched plenty of awards and goals during his seven seasons in South Korea with Incheon United and FC Seoul before he left for China last year. A switch of country has not halted the pony-tailed forward's ability to find the back of the net or provide for teammates and Jeonbuk boss Choi Kang-hee singled out the 33-year-old as the man to watch. Jeonbuk, which won the 2006 AFC Champions League title, secured its place in the Round of 16 as Group E runner-up after comfortably defeating China's Shandong Luneng 4-1 at Jeonju World Cup Stadium earlier this month. Gregorio Manzano's Beijing side topped Group G ahead of Korea's Suwon Samsung after sharing a 1-1 draw with the two-time Asian champion two weeks ago, although midfielder Piao Cheng is suspended for the first leg. The final fixture in the first round of knockout ties sees Suwon, winner of the Asian Club Championship in 2001 and 2002, entertain former semifinalist and Group E winner Kashiwa Reysol from Japan. Having qualified for the group stage via the playoffs, Kashiwa has advanced from the first phase in each of its three appearances in the AFC Champions League and reached the final four in 2013. Suwon, meanwhile, is returning to the knockout stage for the first time since 2011 when it was edged out in the semifinals by eventual winner Al-Sadd. — Agencies
