2023–24 AFC Champions League group stage
The 2023–24 AFC Champions League group stage was played from September to December 2023.
A total of 40 teams competed in the group stage to decide the 16 places in the knockout stage of the 2023–24 AFC Champions League.
Draw
[edit]The draw for the group stage was held on 24 August 2023 at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.[1] The 40 teams were drawn into ten groups of four: five groups each in the West Region (Groups A–E) and the East Region (Groups F–J). For each region, teams were seeded into four pots and drawn into the relevant positions within each group, based on their association ranking and their seeding within their association, in consideration of the technical balance between groups. Teams from the same association could not be drawn into the same group.
Format
[edit]In the group stage, each group was played in a double round-robin format on home and away basis. The winners of each group and three best runners-up from each region advanced to the round of 16 of the knockout stage.
Tiebreakers
[edit]The teams were ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss). If tied on points, tiebreakers were applied in the following order (Regulations Article 8.3):[2]
- Points in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
- Goal difference in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
- Goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
- If more than two teams were tied, and after applying all head-to-head criteria above, a subset of teams were still tied, all head-to-head criteria above were reapplied exclusively to this subset of teams;
- Goal difference in all group matches;
- Goals scored in all group matches;
- Penalty shoot-out if only two teams playing each other in the last round of the group are tied;
- Disciplinary points (yellow card = 1 point, red card as a result of two yellow cards = 3 points, direct red card = 3 points, yellow card followed by direct red card = 4 points);
- Association ranking.
Schedule
[edit]The schedule of the group stage was as follows.[3]
Round | Dates |
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Matchday 1 | 18–20 September 2023 |
Matchday 2 | 2–4 October 2023 |
Matchday 3 | 23–25 October 2023 |
Matchday 4 | 6–8 November 2023 |
Matchday 5 | 27–29 November 2023 |
Matchday 6 | 4–6, 12–13 December 2023 |
Groups
[edit]The detailed schedule was announced on 24 August 2023 after the draw ceremony.[4] It was updated on 6 September.[5]
Group A
[edit]Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | AIN | FEI | PAK | AHA | |
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1 | Al-Ain | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 9 | +8 | 15 | Advance to round of 16 | — | 4–1 | 1–3 | 4–2 | |
2 | Al-Fayha | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 10 | +2 | 9 | 2–3 | — | 2–0 | 3–1 | ||
3 | Pakhtakor | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 11 | −3 | 7 | 0–3 | 1–4 | — | 3–0 | ||
4 | Ahal | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 13 | −7 | 4 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 1–1 | — |
Pakhtakor | 0–3 | Al-Ain |
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Pakhtakor | 3–0 | Ahal |
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Ahal | 1–1 | Pakhtakor |
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Group B
[edit]Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | NAS | SAD | SHJ | FAI | |
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1 | Nasaf | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 6 | +4 | 11 | Advance to round of 16 | — | 3–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | |
2 | Al Sadd | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 7 | +4 | 8[a] | 2–2 | — | 0–0 | 6–0 | ||
3 | Sharjah | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 8[a] | 1–0 | 0–2 | — | 1–0 | ||
4 | Al-Faisaly | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 12 | −7 | 6 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 2–1 | — |
Al-Faisaly | 0–1 | Nasaf |
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Sharjah | 1–0 | Al-Faisaly |
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Sharjah | 1–0 | Nasaf |
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Al Sadd | 6–0 | Al-Faisaly |
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Al-Faisaly | 2–0 | Al Sadd |
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Nasaf | 3–1 | Al-Faisaly |
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Al-Faisaly | 2–1 | Sharjah |
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Group C
[edit]Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | ITH | SEP | QWJ | AGK | |
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1 | Al-Ittihad | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 4 | +7 | 15 | Advance to round of 16 | — | 2–1 | 1–0 | 3–0 | |
2 | Sepahan | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 16 | 8 | +8 | 10[a] | 0–3[b] | — | 1–0 | 9–0 | ||
3 | Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 7 | +2 | 10[a] | 2–0 | 2–2 | — | 3–2 | ||
4 | AGMK | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 22 | −17 | 0 | 1–2 | 1–3 | 1–2 | — |
- ^ a b Ranked on head-to-head points: Sepahan 4, Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 1.
- ^ The match was abandoned after Al-Ittihad walked off in protest due to the presence of a sculpture of Qasem Soleimani on the pitch.[6] The match was awarded a 3–0 win to Al-Ittihad, with Sepahan also being fined $200,000 and banned from hosting its next three Asian Champions League matches at home.[7][8]
Al-Ittihad | 3–0 | AGMK |
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Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya | 2–2 | Sepahan |
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AGMK | 1–2 | Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya |
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AGMK | 1–3 | Sepahan |
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Al-Ittihad | 1–0 | Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya |
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Sepahan | 9–0 | AGMK |
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Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya | 2–0 | Al-Ittihad |
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AGMK | 1–2 | Al-Ittihad |
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Sepahan | 1–0 | Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya |
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Al-Ittihad | 2–1 | Sepahan |
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Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya | 3–2 | AGMK |
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Group D
[edit]Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | HIL | NAV | NAS | MUM | |
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1 | Al-Hilal | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 2 | +14 | 16 | Advance to round of 16 | — | 1–1 | 2–1 | 6–0 | |
2 | Navbahor | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 6 | +5 | 13 | 0–2 | — | 2–1 | 3–0 | ||
3 | Nassaji Mazandaran | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 10 | −3 | 6 | 0–3 | 1–3 | — | 2–0 | ||
4 | Mumbai City | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 17 | −16 | 0 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 0–2 | — |
Al-Hilal | 1–1 | Navbahor |
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Mumbai City | 0–2 | Nassaji Mazandaran |
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Navbahor | 3–0 | Mumbai City |
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Navbahor | 2–1 | Nassaji Mazandaran |
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Al-Hilal | 6–0 | Mumbai City |
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Nassaji Mazandaran | 1–3 | Navbahor |
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Navbahor | 0–2 | Al-Hilal |
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Al-Hilal | 2–1 | Nassaji Mazandaran |
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Mumbai City | 1–2 | Navbahor |
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Group E
[edit]Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | NSR | PRS | DUH | IST | |
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1 | Al Nassr | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 7 | +6 | 14 | Advance to round of 16 | — | 0–0 | 4–3 | 3–1 | |
2 | Persepolis | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 0–2 | — | 1–2 | 2–0 | ||
3 | Al-Duhail | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 7 | 2–3 | 0–1 | — | 2–0 | ||
4 | Istiklol | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 | −6 | 3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–0 | — |
Persepolis | 0–2 | Al Nassr |
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Al-Duhail | 0–1 | Persepolis |
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Persepolis | 2–0 | Istiklol |
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Istiklol | 1–1 | Persepolis |
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Sebai 74' | Report | Torabi 29' |
Al Nassr | 0–0 | Persepolis |
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Persepolis | 1–2 | Al-Duhail |
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Group F
[edit]Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | UTD | JBH | LCS | KIT | |
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1 | Bangkok United | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 8 | +3 | 13 | Advance to round of 16 | — | 3–2 | 1–0 | 1–1 | |
2 | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 9 | +3 | 12 | 3–2 | — | 3–0 | 2–1 | ||
3 | Lion City Sailors | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 9 | −4 | 6 | 1–2 | 2–0 | — | 0–2 | ||
4 | Kitchee | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 9 | −2 | 4 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 1–2 | — |
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 2–1 | Kitchee |
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Lion City Sailors | 1–2 | Bangkok United |
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Bangkok United | 3–2 | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors |
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Kitchee | 1–2 | Lion City Sailors |
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Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 3–0 | Lion City Sailors |
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Kitchee | 1–2 | Bangkok United |
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Lion City Sailors | 2–0 | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors |
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Bangkok United | 1–1 | Kitchee |
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Kitchee | 1–2 | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors |
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Lion City Sailors | 0–2 | Kitchee |
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Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 3–2 | Bangkok United |
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Group G
[edit]Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | FMA | SHT | ICN | KAY | |
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1 | Yokohama F. Marinos | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 7 | +5 | 12[a] | Advance to round of 16 | — | 3–0 | 2–4 | 3–0 | |
2 | Shandong Taishan | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 7 | +7 | 12[a] | 0–1 | — | 3–1 | 6–1 | ||
3 | Incheon United | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 9 | +5 | 12[a] | 2–1 | 0–2 | — | 4–0 | ||
4 | Kaya–Iloilo | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 21 | −17 | 0 | 1–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | — |
Yokohama F. Marinos | 2–4 | Incheon United |
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Kaya–Iloilo | 1–3 | Shandong Taishan |
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Shandong Taishan | 0–1 | Yokohama F. Marinos |
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Yokohama F. Marinos | 3–0 | Kaya–Iloilo |
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Shandong Taishan | 3–1 | Incheon United |
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Kaya–Iloilo | 1–2 | Yokohama F. Marinos |
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Incheon United | 2–1 | Yokohama F. Marinos |
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