Most popular picks from the Round of 16 

1st Leg (West): Al Hussein to draw against Sharjah (63.64%)  

1st Leg (East): Muangthong United to beat Lion City Sailors (86.48%) 

2nd Leg (West): Shabab Al Ahli to beat Al Wehdat (91.88%)  

2nd Leg (East): Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors to beat Port (97.07%)  

Neither of the most popular predictions from the first leg were accurate as Al Hussein fell to Sharjah 1-0 in Jordan, while Lion City sunk ASEAN rivals Muangthong 3-2 in Thailand. 

However, despite some nervy moments in the return meetings, the top two picks were correct.  

Most accurate picks from the Round of 16 

West (2nd Leg) – Shabab Al Ahli to beat Al Wehdat (91.88%)  

After picking up a 2-0 away victory over Al Wehdat in the first leg, Shabab Al Ahli were seemingly cruising in the return meeting following a 14th-minute opener from Sardar Azmoun.  

However, the tide had remarkably turned by the 74th minute as the visitors netted three unanswered goals to level the aggregate score at 3-3.  

This proved to be a wake-up call for the hosts as they went on a four-minute, three-goal blitz to kill off the tie with a 4-3 win on the night and 6-3 on aggregate.  

Credit to Shabab Al Ahli for powering through for the 91% of users.   

East (1st Leg) – Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors to beat Port FC (97.07%)  

A whopping 97% of Match Predictor players backed Jeonbuk to do the double over Thailand’s Port FC following their impressive 4-0 rout in the first leg in Thailand. And one goal was all that was needed.  

Park Jae-yong’s fifth-minute header was the only goal in the contest, earning Jeonbuk a 5-0 win on aggregate over the Khlong Toei Lions. 

Well done to those of you who predicted correctly.  

East (2nd Leg) – Bangkok United 2-3 Sydney FC [4-5 on aggregate]  

A hero after smashing home the pivotal 2-2 equaliser in Sydney, Thitiphan Puangchan’s fate turned upside down a week later at Thammasat Stadium when he was dismissed for a second bookable offence with his side 2-1 up and on the verge of history. 

With Bangkok desperately clinging on for a huge upset, Sydney’s pressure finally paid off in the 88th minute as Adrian Segecic fired in a long-range effort to take the tie to extra time.  

Then former Bayern Munich and Juventus star Douglas Costa broke Bangkok hearts by curling in a 100th-minute winner. Dismay for the hosts and dreamland for the visitors in a game for the ages.  

Expert tips for the Quarter-finals  

Tractor to get past Al Taawoun 

Tractor SC are riding high in the Iranian Pro League as they target a first title since 2015 while, with Al Taawoun in mid-table in the Saudi Pro League and out of the King’s Cup, the AFC Champions League Two™ marks their last chance of glory this season. 

Al Taawoun should go into the first leg on a high after their penalty shootout win over Al Wakrah, but a 50,000-strong capacity crowd in Tabriz against an in-form Tractor is surely a daunting prospect for any visiting team. 

Add in that Tractor’s Amirhossein Hosseinzadeh is in red-hot form, with a joint-tournament-leading eight goals, coupled with the suspension of Al Taawoun defender Waleed Al Ahmad and it could be an uphill battle for the Saudi side. 

We suggest backing Tractor in your next Match Predictor pick.  

Sanfrecce to stop the Sailors 

Sanfrecce Hiroshima are in excellent form, having already beaten J1 League giants Vissel Kobe and Yokohama F. Marinos this season before storming past Vietnam’s Nam Dinh 7-0 on aggregate in the Round of 16. 

Lion City Sailors are firing on all cylinders too, leading the way in Singapore and easing past Thailand’s Muangthong United 7-2 on aggregate in the previous round. However, a trip to the highly fancied Sanfrecce is sure to offer a far sterner test. 

Sanfrecce have scored 13 and conceded just two at home, winning four from four in Hiroshima so far. Second in the J1 League last year and with the Japanese Super Cup already in the bag this season, Michael Skibbe’s side are a team on the rise. 

And our expert thinks they’ll prove too strong for their Singaporean visitors.