Al Ain and Al Nasr on semi-final collision course in Asian Champions League

Omar Abdulrahman and his Al Ain team will face Lokomotiv Tashkent for a place in the Asian Champions League semi-finals. Ashraf Al Amra / Al Ittihad

Al Ain and Al Nasr face the prospect of a semi-final showdown after the two UAE clubs remaining in the Asian Champions League were kept separate in Thursday’s draw.

Al Ain, the Arabian Gulf League runners-up, will take on Lokomotiv Tashkent in their quarter-final, and will host the first leg on August 23 before heading to Iran on September 13 for the return fixture.

Zlatko Dalic’s side are aiming to reach the final for a third time, following their 2003 triumph and 2005 appearance.

Al Nasr, who are in the Champions League knockout stages for the first time, will travel to Qatar for the first leg against El Jaish on August 24, with the second leg in Dubai scheduled for September 14.

On the East Zone side of the draw, Shanghai SIPG, managed by former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, face Korean champions Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, while it’s another China-Korea showdown in the other quarter-final with FC Seoul taking on Shandong Luneng.

Once the quarter-finals are decided, the semi-finals will take place September 27-28, with the return legs scheduled for October 18-19.

ASIAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUARTER-FINAL DRAW:

West Zone

Al Ain v Lokomotiv Tashkent

El Jaish v Al Nasr

East Zone

Shanghai SIPG v Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors

FC Seoul v Shandong Luneng

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