2016 AFC Champions League group stage
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The 2016 AFC Champions League group stage was played from 23 February to 4 May 2016.[1] A total of 32 teams competed in the group stage to decide the 16 places in the knockout stage of the 2016 AFC Champions League.[2]
The draw for the group stage was held on 10 December 2015, 16:00 MYT (UTC+8), at the Petaling Jaya Hilton Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.[3] The 32 teams were drawn into eight groups of four. Teams from the same association could not be drawn into the same group.[4][5]
The seeding of each team in the draw was determined by their association and their qualifying position within their association. The mechanism of the draw was as follows:[6]
- For the West Zone, a draw was held for the three associations with three direct entrants (Saudi Arabia, Iran, Uzbekistan) to determine the seeds 1 placed in order for Groups A, B and C. The remaining teams were then allocated to the groups according to the rules set by AFC.
- For the East Zone, a draw was held for the two associations with three direct entrants (South Korea, Japan) to determine the seeds 1 placed in order for Groups E and F. The remaining teams were then allocated to the groups according to the rules set by AFC.
The following 32 teams (16 from West Zone, 16 from East Zone) entered into the group-stage draw, which included the 24 direct entrants and the eight winners of the qualifying play-off, whose identity were not known at the time of the draw.[3]
| Zone | Seed 1 | Seed 2 | Seed 3 | Seed 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Zone (Groups A–D) |
 Al-Nassr |
Al-Hilal |
Al-Ahli |
Al-Ittihad (Winner Play-off West 1) |
 Sepahan |
Zob Ahan |
Tractor Sazi |
 El Jaish (Winner Play-off West 2) | |
 Pakhtakor |
Nasaf Qarshi |
Lokomotiv Tashkent |
Bunyodkor (Winner Play-off West 3) | |
 Al-Ain |
Al-Nasr |
Lekhwiya |
Al-Jazira (Winner Play-off West 4) | |
| East Zone (Groups E–H) |
 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors |
FC Seoul |
Suwon Samsung Bluewings |
Pohang Steelers (Winner Play-off East 1) |
 Sanfrecce Hiroshima |
Gamba Osaka |
Urawa Red Diamonds |
FC Tokyo (Winner Play-off East 2) | |
 Melbourne Victory |
Sydney FC |
 Buriram United |
 Shandong Luneng (Winner Play-off East 3) | |
| Guangzhou Evergrande |
Jiangsu Suning |
 Becamex Bình Dương |
Shanghai SIPG (Winner Play-off East 4) |
Format
In the group stage, each group was played on a home-and-away round-robin basis. The winners and runners-up of each group advanced to the round of 16.[2]
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 would be applied in the following order (Regulations Article 11.5):[2]
- Greater number of points obtained in the group matches between the teams concerned;
- Goal difference resulting from the group matches between the teams concerned;
- Greater number of goals scored in the group matches between the teams concerned;
- Greater number of away goals scored in the group matches between the teams concerned;
- If, after applying criteria 1 to 4, teams still have an equal ranking, criteria 1 to 4 are reapplied exclusively to the matches between the teams in question to determine their final rankings. If this procedure does not lead to a decision, criteria 6 to 10 apply;
- Goal difference in all the group matches;
- Greater number of goals scored in all the group matches;
- Penalty shoot-out if only two teams are involved and they are both on the field of play;
- Fewer score calculated according to the number of yellow and red cards received in the group matches (1 point for a single yellow card, 3 points for a red card as a consequence of two yellow cards, 3 points for a direct red card, 4 points for a yellow card followed by a direct red card);
- Team who belongs to the member association with the higher AFC ranking.
Schedule
The schedule of each matchday was as follows.[1][2]
| Matchday | Dates | Matches |
|---|---|---|
| Matchday 1 | 23–24 February 2016 | Team 1 vs. Team 4, Team 3 vs. Team 2 |
| Matchday 2 | 1–2 March 2016 | Team 4 vs. Team 3, Team 2 vs. Team 1 |
| Matchday 3 | 15–16 March 2016 | Team 4 vs. Team 2, Team 1 vs. Team 3 |
| Matchday 4 | 5–6 April 2016 | Team 2 vs. Team 4, Team 3 vs. Team 1 |
| Matchday 5 | 19–20 April 2016 | Team 4 vs. Team 1, Team 2 vs. Team 3 |
| Matchday 6 | 3–4 May 2016 | Team 1 vs. Team 2, Team 3 vs. Team 4 |
On 25 January 2016, the AFC announced the following changes to the schedule due to Saudi Arabia's refusal to play in Iran after the attack on their diplomatic missions in Iran and the ensuing deterioration of Iran–Saudi Arabia relations:[7]
- Group A: change matchday 1 (23 February) with matchday 6 (4 May)
- Group B: change matchday 2 (1 March) with matchday 5 (20 April)
- Group C: change matchday 1 (24 February) with matchday 6 (3 May)
- Group D: change matchday 2 (2 March) with matchday 5 (19 April)
After the changes, all matches between teams from Iran and Saudi Arabia (including possible play-off winners) were rescheduled to be played on matchdays 5 and 6 (19–20 April and 3–4 May). The venues of these matches would be decided after an evaluation deadline of 15 March 2016. As there had not been a return to normal relations between the two countries by then with Saudi Arabia refusing to lift their travel restrictions to Iran, the AFC accepted the Saudi Arabian Football Federation's proposal of playing all matches between teams from Iran and Saudi Arabia in neutral venues.[8] This involved a total of six matches, two each in Groups A, B and C (no matches were moved in Group D as the play-off team from Iran failed to advance to the group).
On 31 March 2016, the AFC announced that they have approved the neutral venues, with teams from Iran moving their home matches to Oman, and teams from Saudi Arabia moving their home matches to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.[9]
