2024–25 AFC Champions League Two group stage explained

The 2024–25 AFC Champions League Two group stage will be played from September 17th to December 5th 2024. Top two teams from each group qualify for the knockout stage.[1]

Draw

The draw for the group stage took place on August 16th at the InterContinental Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.[2] The 32 teams were drawn into eight groups of four: four groups each in the West Region (Groups A–D) and the East Region (Groups E–H).[3] 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. Teams from the same association could not be drawn into the same group.

The following 32 teams entered the group-stage draw, which included the 27 direct entrants, three losers from the AFC Champions League Elite qualifying play-offs (labeled ACLE) and the two winners of the preliminary stage (labeled PS).

RegionGroupsPot 1Pot 2Pot 3Pot 4
A–D SepahanACLE Tractor Al-Hussein Irbid Al-Wehdat
Shabab Al AhliACLE Sharjah Istiklol Ravshan Kulob
Al Taawoun Nasaf Mohun Bagan SG Altyn AsyrPS
Al-Wakrah Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Al-Khaldiya Al-KuwaitPS
E–H Bangkok UnitedACLE Port Lee Man Eastern
Sanfrecce Hiroshima Sydney FC Kaya–Iloilo DH Cebu
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Selangor Lion City Sailors Tampines Rovers
Zhejiang Thep Xanh Nam Định Muangthong United Persib

Format

In the group stage, each group will be played in a double round-robin format on home and away basis. The winners and runners-up of each group advance 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):[4]

  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. 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;
  5. Goal difference in all group matches;
  6. Goals scored in all group matches;
  7. Penalty shoot-out if only two teams playing each other in the last round of the group are tied;
  8. 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);
  9. Drawing of lots.

Schedule

The schedule of the group stage was as follows.[1]

RoundDates
Matchday 117–19 September 2024
Matchday 21–3 October 2024
Matchday 322–24 October 2024
Matchday 45–7 November 2024
Matchday 526–28 November 2024
Matchday 63–5 December 2024

Groups

The detailed schedule was announced on 16 August 2024 after the draw ceremony.[5]

West Region

Group A

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Group B

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Group C

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Group D

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East Region

Group E

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Group F

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Group G

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Group H

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Notes and References

  1. Web site: AFC Competitions Calendar (Jul 2024 - Jun 2025) . the-AFC.com. Asian Football Confederation. 20 June 2024.
  2. Web site: AFC Champions League Two: #ACLTwo contenders to discover Group Stage fate . 12 August 2024 . the-AFC . en.
  3. Web site: #ACLTwo group stage draw finalised . Asian Football Confederation . 17 August 2024 . 16 August 2024.
  4. Web site: AFC Champions League Two 2024/25 Competition Regulations. Asian Football Confederation. 16 August 2024. PDF.
  5. Web site: 2024–25 AFC Champions League Two Group Stage Draw Results & Match Schedule . Asian Football Confederation . 17 August 2024 . 16 August 2024.

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