Lekhwiya drawn against Saudi's Al Hilal in AFC quarters

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Friday, June 19th 2015 09:29 AM

Kuala Lumpur: Last year's runners-up Al Hilal were drawn against Lekhwiya of Qatar in the AFC Champions League 2015 quarter-finals during thedraw in the Malaysian capital city of Kuala Lumpur on Thursday. Al Hilal are gunning to make a return to the finalhaving succumbed to Australian debutants Western Sydney Wanderers 1-0 on aggregate in the 2014 ACL final. The Saudi Arabian outfit advanced to this year's quarter-finals after beating Iran's Persepolis 3-1 on aggregate in the Round of 16, while Lekhwiya advanced to the last eight after taming fellow Qatari club and 2011 ACL champions Al Sadd 4-3 on aggregate. Winners of the 2013 edition Guangzhou Evergrande from China, whoqualified for the last eight after downing Seongnam FC of Korea Republic 3-2 on aggregate, were drawn against Japan’s Kashiwa Reysol, who had defeated Seongnam's fellow KoreansSuwon Samsung FC on the away goal rules in the Round of 16. Gamba Osaka of Japan, who beat FC Seoul 6-3 on aggregate in the Round of 16, face Korean opposition for the second time in this year's knockout stage with the 2008 ACL champions settoface Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, the winners of the continent's premier club competition in 2006 who booked their place in Thursday's draw with a 2-1 aggregate victory over Chinese outfit Beijing Guoan. Al Ahli from the UAE, who had beaten compatriots and inaugural ACL champions Al Ain on the away goals rules to punch their ticket to the quarter-finals, are set to take on Iranian club Naft Tehran, who saw off Saudia Arabia's Al Ahli toalso qualifyfor the last eight on away goals. DRAW RESULTS: Quarter-final 1: Al Hilal v Lekhwiya Quarter-final 2: Naft Tehran v Al Ahli (UAE) Quarter-final 3: Kashiwa Reysol v Guangzhou Evergrande Quarter-final 4: Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors v Gamba Osaka KNOCK-OUT STAGE FIXTURES SCHEDULE 25 August 2015 Quarter-final 1 (1st Leg): Al Hilal v Lekhwiya Quarter-final 3 (1st Leg): Kashiwa Reysol v Guangzhou Evergrande 26 August 2015 Quarter-final 2 (1st Leg): Naft Tehran v Al Ahli (UAE) Quarter-final 4 (1st Leg): Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors v Gamba Osaka 15 September 2015 Quarter-final 1 (2nd Leg): Lekhwiya v Al Hilal Quarter-final 3 (2nd Leg): Guangzhou Evergrande v Kashiwa Reysol 16 September 2015 Quarter-final 2 (2nd Leg): Al Ahli (UAE) v Naft Tehran Quarter-final 4 (2nd Leg): Gamba Osaka v Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors