2021 AFC Champions League group stage explained

The 2021 AFC Champions League group stage was played from 14 to 30 April 2021 for the West Region and from 22 June to 11 July 2021 for the East Region.[1] A total of 40 teams competed in the group stage to decide the 16 places in the knockout stage of the 2021 AFC Champions League.[2]

Draw

The draw for the group stage was held at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 27 January 2021.[3] 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 zone, 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 technical balance between groups. Teams from the same association could not be drawn into the same group.[4]

The following 40 teams entered into the group stage draw, which included the 32 direct entrants and the eight winners of the play-off round of the qualifying play-offs, whose identity was not known at the time of the draw.

width=12%Regionwidth=8%Groupswidth=20%Pot 1width=20%Pot 2width=20%Pot 3width=20%Pot 4
A–E Al-Duhail Al-Nassr Pakhtakor Al-Shorta
Al-Hilal Tractor Al-Wehdat AGMK
Persepolis Shabab Al-Ahli Goa Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
Sharjah Al-Rayyan Istiklol Foolad
Al-Sadd Al-Ahli Esteghlal Al-Wahda
F–J Pohang Steelers (Jiangsu) Gamba Osaka United City Chiangrai United (Sydney FC)
Kawasaki Frontale Ulsan Hyundai Kitchee Kaya–Iloilo
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Port Viettel Cerezo Osaka
BG Pathum United Beijing Guoan (Guangzhou) Johor Darul Ta'zim Ratchaburi Mitr Phol
Guangzhou (Shandong Taishan) Nagoya Grampus Tampines Rovers Daegu FC

Format

In the group stage, each group was played on a double round-robin basis in centralised venues. The winners of each group and three best runners-up from each region advanced to the round of 16 of the knockout stage.

Tiebreakers

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]

  1. Points in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
  2. Goal difference in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
  3. Goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
  4. Away goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams; (not applicable since the matches were played in centralised venue)
  5. 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;
  6. Goal difference in all group matches;
  7. Goals scored in all group matches;
  8. Penalty shoot-out if only two teams playing each other in the last round of the group are tied;
  9. 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);
  10. Association ranking.

Schedule

The schedule of each matchday was as follows.[1] [5]

MatchdayDatesMatches
West RegionEast Region
Matchday 114–15 April 202122, 24–26 June 2021Team 1 vs. Team 4, Team 3 vs. Team 2
Matchday 217–18 April 202125, 27–29 June 2021Team 4 vs. Team 3, Team 2 vs. Team 1
Matchday 320–21 April 202128, 30 June – 2 July 2021 Team 4 vs. Team 2, Team 1 vs. Team 3
Matchday 423–24 April 20211, 3–5 July 2021Team 2 vs. Team 4, Team 3 vs. Team 1
Matchday 526–27 April 20214, 6–8 July 2021Team 4 vs. Team 1, Team 2 vs. Team 3
Matchday 629–30 April 20217, 9–11 July 2021Team 1 vs. Team 2, Team 3 vs. Team 4

Centralised venues

On 11 March 2021, AFC confirmed Thailand as the hosts for the group stage, except for Group H and I.[6] On 10 May 2021, AFC confirmed Uzbekistan as the hosts for Group H and I.[7]

Groups

Group A

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Group B

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Group C

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Group D

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Group E

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Group F

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Group G

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Group H

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Group I

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Group J

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Ranking of second-placed teams

East Region

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: AFC Competitions Calendar 2021. Asian Football Confederation. the-afc.com. 5 December 2019.
  2. Web site: AFC Champions League 2021 Competition Regulations. Asian Football Confederation. the-afc.com . PDF.
  3. Web site: 2021 AFC Champions League draw produces thrilling groups. Asian Football Confederation. the-afc.com. 27 January 2021.
  4. Web site: ACL 2021 Draw Mechanism. Asian Football Confederation. YouTube. 26 January 2021.
  5. Web site: AFC Club Competitions’ Group Stages to be played in centralised venues. Asian Football Confederation. the-afc.com. 25 January 2021.
  6. Web site: Venues for AFC Champions League 2021 Group Stage revealed. Asian Football Confederation. the-afc.com. 11 March 2021.
  7. Web site: Uzbekistan to stage 2021 AFC Champions League Groups H and I. Asian Football Confederation. the-afc.com. 10 May 2021.

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