Persepolis have made it to the knockout stage for the sixth time in their history, their most recent effort taking them all the way to the final of the 2018 edition, which they lost to Kashima Antlers of Japan.

This time around, Persepolis needed a win on Matchday Six to confirm passage from Group C, and they delivered in style after beating UAE Pro League side Sharjah 4-0, while Al Taawoun’s late win against Al Duhail meant Persepolis’ result took them to the top of the group.

A physically intense opening half of an hour saw little in the way of scoring chances despite Pakhtakor’s clear dominance.

The Group B leaders had their best chance of the first 30 minutes when Dragan Ceran tested the goalkeeper from long range but Seyed Hossein Hosseini was alert and made the save.

The two sides had met at the same round in 2017 when Al Ahli emerged 4-2 winners on aggregate to reach the quarter-finals, before exiting at the hands of Persepolis FC.

Al Nassr reached the Round of 16 after topping Group D with 11 points. Moroccan striker Abderazzak Hamdallah contributed five goals to their campaign progress, scoring in each of their first four games before being rested with qualification all but secured.

The Riyadh based side have reached the knockout stage three times, this being the second time in a row. The first time they reached the knockout stage was in 2011, when they lost 4-1 on aggregate to Islamic Republic of Iran’s Zobahan in the Round of 16, while in 2019 they went on to reach the quarter-finals before exiting at the hands of Al Sadd.

Established names have proven themselves, while young talents have emerged in the six matchdays of the group stage. the-AFC.com profiles eight key players who have guided their teams into the next round.

Doha: Esteghlal FC's Mehdi Ghaedi has been voted by the fans as the 2020 AFC Champions League Matchday Six Toyota Player of the Week.

Ghaedi, who shone during the Iranian side's 3-0 win over Al Ahli Saudi FC on Matchday Six, was top of OPTA's ratings after he received an impressive 8.6 rating following a goal and an assist in the comprehensive victory for the Tehran giants and the fans agreed.