The Japanese team lost the second leg at Shanghai Stadium 2-1, but Shoma Doi’s 42nd-minute strike was enough to send the eight-time J.League champions into the last eight after their 3-1 win in the first leg.

Hulk gave Shanghai the lead on the night in the seventh minute and then found the net again from the penalty spot with nine minutes to play, but Kashima stood firm as the clock ticked down to see out the tie.

It only took seven minutes for Hulk to get this clash at Shanghai Stadium up and running, as the Brazilian gleefully capitalised on a Gen Shoji error to put Shanghai 1-0 up from close range.

With Kashima having won the first leg 3-1 in Japan, they were still ahead on aggregate but knew another goal from Shanghai would see Vitor Pereira’s side snatch the advantage on away goals, and Mu Kanazaki missed a glorious chance to settle the visitors’ nerves in the 30th minute, arcing an effort past the far post after barging his way into the box from the left flank.

Yuma Suzuki fired another warning after beating the offside trap in the 36th minute, and six minutes later Kashima did level things up on the night and re-establish their two-goal advantage in the tie when Shoma Doi cheekily flicked home a low cross from the left by Koki Anzai.

The Chinese Super League teams played out a scoreless draw in Tianjin last week to mean an away goal on Tuesday could leave Guangzhou in real trouble, and that was exactly how the match panned out as a 2-2 draw at Tianhe Stadium saw the visitors advance on away goals.

Trailing 1-0 after the first leg in Ulsan, Suwon knew they needed to score at least twice to advance and Seo Jung-won put out a very attacking line-up in the hopes of doing just that.

Kim broke the deadlock midway through the first half when he got on the end of a pinpoint free kick from Lee Ki-je to head his side into the lead in the 26th minute, and the 23-year-old then set the Suwon World Cup Stadium alight with his second of the game just five minutes later after being set up by Waguininho.

The two-time continental champions lost the first leg 3-2 in Thailand but Son Jun-ho’s stoppage-time away goal had left the K League 1 side in a strong position ahead of the reverse fixture at Jeonju World Cup Stadium.

Ricardo Lopes volleyed home a superb opener inside 20 minutes to ease any nerves on Tuesday and, after dominating the game, Lee Jae-sung curled in a fabulous free-kick with six minutes remaining as Jeonbuk sealed a 2-0 victory to return to the last eight.

Guangzhou started the brighter of the two teams, with Alan and Nemanja Gudelj both sending efforts narrowly wide early on before Ricardo Goulart gave the hosts the lead in the 17th minute, with the ball ricocheting home off the Brazilian after Tianjin goalkeeper Zhang Lu could only parry another Alan effort against his shin.

Tianjin didn’t take long to strike back though, with Paulo Sousa’s side level almost immediately as Alexandre Pato beat Zheng Zhi to an Axel Witsel cross from the left of the area to head home from close range in the 19th minute.

The Tehran side conceded in added time in last week’s first leg as a 1-0 defeat in Isfahan left them with plenty to do at Azadi Stadium, where more than 75,000 fans generated a fantastic atmosphere at the Islamic Republic of Iran’s national stadium.

Thiam put the hosts in front from the spot shortly after the 10-minute mark to level the tie on aggregate, before the Senagalese forward’s stunning left-foot effort from distance put them 2-0 on the night four minutes before the interval.