Find out about the Asian Elite Round of 16 matchups

The Round of 16 fixtures for the AFC Champions League have been officially determined, setting the stage for continental excitement with home-and-away matches before the final stages, to be held in Jeddah next April. This round represents a crucial juncture for the qualified clubs, as teams from both the West and East regions strive to assert their dominance before entering the final round of the tournament. The Round of 16 matches will be played on a home-and-away basis, with West Zone fixtures taking place on March 2, 3, 9, and 10, while East Zone fixtures will be played on March 3, 4, 10, and 11. Following the completion of all matches, the draw for the final stages will be held on March 25 to determine the path for the eight qualified teams towards competing for the title in Jeddah. In the West Zone, the draw has produced some exciting matchups, most notably a Saudi-Qatari clash between Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia and Al-Sadd of Qatar, a match that brings together two teams with a rich history in the continental competition. Al-Ahli Jeddah of Saudi Arabia will face Al-Duhail of Qatar in a highly anticipated and competitive match, while Al-Ittihad of Saudi Arabia will clash with Al-Wahda of the UAE in an exciting Gulf derby. Tractor Sazi of Iran will take on Shabab Al-Ahli Dubai of the UAE in a match that appears wide open. For the finals, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has announced that King Abdullah Sports City Stadium and Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City Stadium will host the final stages, which will take place from April 16 to 25. This format allows the top eight clubs in the continent to compete in a single-elimination knockout format. The quarter-finals will be held from April 16 to 18, followed by the semi-finals on April 20 and 21. The tournament will conclude with the final on April 25, which will be hosted by King Abdullah Sports City Stadium for the second consecutive season, with a prize of $12 million for the winning team. With two rounds remaining in the Eastern Region league, Vissel Kobe leads the standings with 13 points, while Al-Hilal has secured first place in the Western Region with six wins out of six matches, demonstrating their excellent form ahead of the knockout stages. This suggests that the AFC Champions League is set for a thrilling round of crucial matches that will determine which teams will compete for the continental title this summer.