Japan's Kashima Antlers have won the 2018 AFC Champions League after a 2-0 aggregate win over Iran's Persepolis in the two-legged final on Saturday.

After winning the home leg 2-0, the Japanese team held Persepolis to a goalless stalemate in Iran to clinch their first-ever title in the tournament.

Almost 100,000 supporters crammed the Azadi stadium in Tehran to see their team overturn the first half deficit but Kashima's sensational rear-guard action left most of them frustrated.

Kashima defended stoutly right from the outset and limited the number of chances their Iranian counterparts could fashion.

Persepolis striker Ali Alipour did get some opportunities to score but he was wasteful with his finishing and could not capitalise. He fired wide from inside the box on one occasion before heading tamely at the Kashima goalkeeper at the half-hour mark.

A frustrated Persepolis saw Alipour miss another chance at the hour mark when he volleyed an effort well wide. Kashima's defence would stand strong to become the third club from Japan, after Gamba Osaka and Urawa Red Diamonds to win the AFC Champions League title.</s>Japanese-league club Kashima Antlers on Saturday claimed their maiden title in the AFC Champions League, Asia's premier club soccer tournament, by defeating Iranian side Persepolis 2-0 on aggregate.

After winning the Nov. 3 first leg 2-0 in Kashima, the Antlers wrapped up the championship - and earned a FIFA Club World Cup berth - when the teams played to scoreless draw here at Azadi Stadium in front of roughly 100,000 people.</s>J. League outfit Kashima Antlers travel to Tehran’s formidable Azadi Stadium to face Persepolis FC in the second leg of the AFC Champions League 2018 final on Saturday.

The Japanese club have one hand on the trophy having won the first leg in Kashima 2-0 and if they can preserve that advantage at Tehran over the 90 minutes, they will become the sixth club from Japan to lift the most coveted trophy in Asia’s club football scene.

The triumph will guarantee that the AFC Champions League trophy returns to the Land of the Rising Sun for the second year in a row. It will also cement J. League’s position as the top domestic league in the continent ahead of the Chinese Super League and South Korea’s K League.

So, we take a look at the Japanese clubs who have found success in the AFC Champions League over the years.

They might be playing in Japan’s second division these days with a new monicker JEF United Chiba FC, but Furukawa were the first club to bring the trophy to the country in 1986 in the competition’s old form — the Asian Club Championship.

The club owned by the East Japan Railway Company and electronics giants Furukawa Electric were a force to reckon with in their heydays between 1960s and 80s, but have gone on a downward spiral since the turn of the new decade.

However, one of their most memorable year in their history was 1986 when they were crowned Asian champions. They played the qualifiers of the competition in Kuala Lumpur where they defeated both Selangor FC and Macau’s Hap Kuan to make the tournament mains in Saudi Arabia.

They were joined by Al Hilal from the host nation, China’s Liaoning FC and Iraq’s Al Talaba in a round-robin league. But the Furukawa recorded emphatic win over all three opponents to give Japan a first taste of success in the continental contest.

But it wasn’t long before they got hold of the trophy once again. In the very next year, Furukawa’s local rivals Yomiuri FC returned the trophy to Japan and were fortunate enough to do so even without playing a final! They made it out of the semifinal Group B featuring Malaysia’s Federal Territory, Kuwait’s Kazma SC and China’s August 1 Football Team, but did not have an opponent in the final to play against.

Al Hilal, the Saudi Arabian opposition who were to challenge Yomiuri, could not field a full team as their players were called up to the Saudi national camp clashing with the date of the final. And the Japanese club were awarded a walkover! Yomirui are one of the most successful teams in Japanese football history having won 25 league titles, but these days, they are known as Tokyo Verdy and plies in the country’s second tier.

Japan had to wait over a decade to win another Asian crown as it came in 1999 and this will be one victory that Kashima Antlers will look to take inspiration from ahead of their final against Persepolis. Jubilo Iwata were the club to bring a third Asian Club Championship title to Japan and to do it, they overcame Iran’s Esteghlal FC 2-1 in a final held at the Azadi Stadium!

Jubilo also reached the final of the tournament in 2000 and 2001, but had to settle for runners-up spots both the times. The club owned by the Yamaha Motor Company are still going strong in Japan, unlike the first two Asian champions from the country. The 2002 J. League champions were relegated in 2013, but bounced back in 2016 and finished a creditable 6th last season.

In 2007, Urawa Red Diamonds became the fourth team from Japan to win the Asian title and the first to do so in the AFC Champions League era. In the final of the rechristened tournament’s fifth edition, the Reds defeated Iran’s Sepahan 3-1 on aggregate to lift the gong. The victory also enabled them to qualify for the 2007 FIFA Club World Cup hosted by Japan where they finished third.

On the 10th anniversary of that triumph, Urawa won their second AFC Champions League title and became the first club from Japan to become Asian champions on more than one occasion. In 2017 final, it was once again Saudi’s Al Hilal who were the opponents for the Japan club, but Brazilian Rafael Silva’s 88th minute goal in the second leg helped the Reds record a narrow 2-1 win on aggregate over the Saudis.

Between Urawa’s two triumphs, Gamba Osaka won the AFC Champions League trophy in 2008 and they won it in grand fashion after thrashing A-League side Adelaide United 5-0 over two legs. Gamba killed the game in the first leg held at Osaka itself as they recorded a 3-0 victory but a brace from Brazilian Lucas Severino piled misery on the Australians!

They also managed a third-place finish in the FIFA Club World Cup that year that was won by Manchester United. The club owned by multinational electronics giants Panasonic most recently won the J. League title in 2014 and were the runners-up the following year.</s>Kashima Antlers have won the AFC Champions League for the first time in their history after a 0-0 draw with Persepolis in Saturday’s second leg saw them win the final 2-0 on aggregate.

Having claimed an impressive 2-0 win on home soil a week earlier, Kashima entered the return encounter at the Azadi Stadium in Tehran with one hand already on the trophy.

However, they were coming up against a Persepolis that had not suffered a home defeat in the Champions League since May 2012 and were also buoyed by a boisterous home crowd, which should set a new tournament attendance record by comfortably bettering the previous highest tally of 63,763 set in the 2014 decider between Al Hilal and Western Sydney Wanderers.

Surprisingly, the visitors opted against sitting back and defending their lead from the opening whistle and actually showed good initiative going forward in the early exchanges.

They fired away their first warning shot in the 14th minute when Yuma Suzuki peeled away from his marker on the left and crossed to Shoma Doi, who flashed a shot dangerously across the face of goal.

Meanwhile, while they enjoyed plenty of possession, Persepolis failed to really trouble a Kashima backline that was led supremely by centre-backs Gen Shoji and Jung Seung-hyun.

It took until the 39th minute before they really gave their opponents a scare when Bashar Resan embarked on a terrific run straight at the heart of the Antlers defence, but could only fire straight at Kwoun Sun-tae having left himself with too acute an angle.

Ahmad Nourollahi was next to threaten three minutes later with a 20-yard piledriver that stung the hands of Kwoun, before Ali Alipour pounced on a weak clearance on the edge of the box four minutes after the hour mark and instinctively fired away a snapshot that was not too far away.

But, with Nigerian target man Godwin Mensha struggling to get into the contest and Alipour limited to half-chances, Persepolis never really gave the Japanese visitors anything to worry about.

And, as the game entered its closing stages, Kashima were just able to tighten things up and see out the remainder of the contest to become champions of Asia and make it two Japanese winners in as many years following the success of Urawa Red Diamonds in 2017.</s>Kashima Antlers’ long wait for the elusive AFC Champions League trophy is finally over! The most successful side in J-League’s history beat FC Persepolis over two-legs to win the coveted title. However, there was a more personal achievement for one of the Antlers’ as Yuma Suzuki took home the MVP award for the tournament.

The Antlers had to wait 16 years for their first AFC Champions League title. However, the moment finally arrived after they beat Persepolis 2-0 on aggregate.

The J-League side took a two-goal advantage with them to Iran, courtesy of first-leg goals from Serginho and Leo Silva. They then held on for 90 minutes in Persepolis’ home ground to finally get a hold of the Champions League title.

However, post-match, everyone’s eyes were on the MVP award, which was ultimately awarded to Kashima’s Yuma Suzuki. The 22-year-old striker may have had a night to forget during the second leg but his contributions throughout the tournament meant that he walked home with the MVP trophy.

The young striker had just two goals to his name for this edition of the tournament but played a pivotal role in Kashima Antlers’ success. The Japanese forward follows compatriot Yosuke Kashigawa as the tournament MVP, who won the award last year.</s>With the AFC Champions League Final fast approaching, Persepolis have a difficult task at hand. The Iranian club are currently trailing Kashima Antlers 2-0, after suffering a defeat in the first leg. However, as history is the witness, all is not lost yet. It just so happens, that sometimes, a team snatches victory in the unlikeliest of circumstances. We take a look at three such instances.

Bear in mind, that we are only included finals which were played over the course of two legs. Therefore, the following editions have been overlooked from the list: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012.

Al Ittihad’s first title in the AFC Champions League was a memorable one. The Saudi Arabian team had fought hard to reach the final in the first place. After a 2-1 win in the semifinal first leg against Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, the ‘people’s club’ had found themselves trailing 2-0 in the second leg. However, two goals in the final 20 minutes of the match turned the tie in favour of Ittihad, who progressed to the Final.

In the Final, they met South Korea’s Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma. Playing at home, many expected Ittihad to win comfortably. However, it was their opponents who came out on top, beating them 3-1.

With two away goals in their kitty, Seongnam were seemingly the favourites to win the title. However, Ittihad refused to throw in the towel and beat the South Korean side 5-0 in their own stadium!

When the dust settled, Ittihad had overturned a two-goal deficit to win 6-3. A memorable title-win indeed!

Jeonbuk Hyundai had come within a whisker of the final just two years prior. However, they were beaten by Al-Ittihad in a stunning manner, who came from two behind to win the match.

In football, two years is a long time. And the Green Warriors were on the cusp of title glory yet again.

What was remarkable about Jeonbuk’s 2006 title-run was that they had overturned a first-leg deficit in both the quarterfinals and the semifinals! They were now faced with one final challenge, in the form of Syria’s Al-Karamah.

Playing the first leg of the final in Jeonju, the Green Warriors took an easy two-goal lead, an advantage they would carry with themselves to the away leg.

However, Al-Karamah came flying out of the blocks in the second leg and levelled the match on aggregate. With time running out, Jeonbuk’s Ze Carlos stepped up and scored for his side in the 86th minute! Jeonbuk lost on the night 2-1 but won on aggregate by 3-2.

The most recent edition of the AFC Champions League saw controversy from the start. Title holders Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors were expelled from the competition due to their involvement in a bribery scandal. Furthermore, their appeal for provisional measures was rejected as well. With the title holders out, the trophy was for anyone to grab.

With much difficulty, Japanese side Urawa Red Diamonds made it into the final of the competition. The Reds trailed by a two-goal margin in both the Round of 16 and the quarterfinals but somehow managed to progress on both the occasions. A narrow win further in the semifinals saw them come up against Al-Hilal in the final of the 2017 Champions League.

The Reds visited Al-Hilal in the first leg and shared the spoils on the night with a 1-1 draw.

The second leg was a dire affair as well, with neither team unable to break the deadlock till the 88th minute. That’s when Rafael Silva stepped up. He scored in the final moments of the game to gift Urawa the win on the night and on aggregate.

Urawa’s final win might have been straightforward but their refusal to give up throughout the tournament made this victory even sweeter.</s>With the 2018 edition of the AFC Champions League finally coming to a close, we can finally take a look at all the individual achievements for the season. One such accomplishment is the top-scorer award, which was given to Al Sadd’s Algerian striker, Baghdad Bounedjah.

Al Sadd’s brilliant run in the competition came to an abrupt end when they were beaten by Persepolis in the Semifinals. The Qatar club were beaten 2-1 on aggregate by the eventual finalists. However, there was still a silver lining for one of Al Sadd’s players – Baghdad Bounedjah – who finished the competition with 13 goals.

The Algerian forward, who has been with Al Sadd since 2015, opened his account in their first game itself. He scored a brace in what would eventually be a 2-1 win over Al Wasl.

Bounedjah’s superb run didn’t end there. In fact, the 26-year-old added yet another brace to his collection on matchday 2, a feat he would go on to repeat on three more occasions. He also scored in all of Al-Sadd’s knockout fixtures, adding six more goals to his tally.

Ultimately, when Al Sadd exited, the Algerian striker had 13 goals to his name, four more than his closest competitor in the 2018 AFC Champions League.

The free-scoring forward has been a star turn for the Qatari side and has scored 58 times in just 44 appearances across all competitions since 2015. Here’s another personal trophy for his collection!</s>The 2018 AFC Champions League finally came to a close with Kashima Antlers finally lifting the coveted title. It was perhaps the most prominent title missing from the Kashima cabinet but Go Oiwa’s side made sure that they do not return home empty-handed. On a difficult night for both the teams, some player stepped up whilst some fell short. We take a look…

With the home support behind him, all Beiranvand had to do was to make sure he didn’t concede a goal throughout the night. On his part, the Persepolis custodian did his job. Unfortunately, he was let down by his goal-shy teammates on the night.

Defensively, Khaliizadeh was solid. For the most part, he stopped Kashima from approaching Beiranvand’s goal. However, he did get into a scuffle with the opposition manager during the final few minutes and was perhaps lucky to escape a booking.

Hosseini kept things tight at the back as usual. However, the game was to be decided by Persepolis’ attacking instinct, which was severely lacking on the night.

Ansari was the only casualty in the otherwise solid defence. The centre-back was sacrificed for Ehsan Alvanzadeh midway through the second half.

Mosleh was part of the quartet who did their job perfectly, by keeping Kashima at bay. The full-back would be disappointed that his side couldn’t find that elusive goal tonight.

Started as a creative midfielder, Kamyabinia was expected to drive at the Kashima defenders. However, neither could he find that perfect opening nor the perfect pass to help the Persepolis attack.

Hemati looked good whilst on the pitch. Unfortunately, he was substituted in the 64th minute due to an injury.

Starting in the centre of the midfield, Nourollahi was asked to man the channels between attack and defence and provide support for both. Defensively, Nourollahi was solid. But all he and Persepolis was lacking on the night was a good attacking instinct.

Resan was perhaps the unluckiest player on the pitch and should’ve scored in this game. The midfielder put in a great shift put fell just short of the target. Much like the rest of the team. He did look promising whenever the ball was in his feet.

A lot was asked of Alipour on the night. The forward was expected to lead Persepolis from the front and provide with some much-needed goals. However, his finishing let him down throughout the night, with several chances falling at his end. Persepolis had almost double the number of shots as Kashima. Unfortunately, none of them ended up in the back of the net.

Mensha was asked to lead the line with Alipour but the Nigerian suffered a fate similar to his strike partner. Marshalled expertly by Gen Shoji and Seung-Hyun throughout the night and couldn’t find a decent opening.

Rabiekhah came in place of Hemati with half an hour to go. He did look promising with the ball in his feet but lacked the end product.

Alvanzadeh was called upon by the manager to replace Ansari in defence. He did his job well and stopped Kashima’s counters during the final minutes of the game.

Sun-Tae was the reasons the Antlers didn’t fall behind in the first half. The South Korean veteran was fully aware of his surroundings and made some decent stops to keep Persepolis at bay.

The full-back should’ve definitely done better dealing with Persepolis’ wide men. He was even booked into the final few minutes of the match. However, at the end of the day, Nishi and his defensive partners did their job and will return home with the title.

Seung-Hyun was rock-solid in defence throughout the match and helped keep the pressure on the opposition attackers. The South Korean did let in the attackers on a few occasions but luckily they couldn’t convert.

The best player of the match, Gen Shoji did his job on the night expertly. He had one task at hand- to stop Persepolis from scoring; which he did with quiet aplomb. The 25-year-old dealt with Mensha and Alipour quite easily.

Yamamoto was solid on the night defensively. A case can be made of his attacing contribution but tonight was all about that Kashima defence. He helped keep the cleansheet which lead to Kashima winning the trophy.

Kashima’s best chance of the match fell to Shoma Doi, who should’ve put the tie to bed. He couldn’t unfortunately and the Antlers had to deal with immense pressure late on.

Misao provided the extra cover to the Kashima defenders and looked to play the attackers whenever the opportunity arose.

The experienced Leo Silva was everywhere for the Antlers on the night. The 32-year-old was running the channels for the J-League side and did his job brilliantly.

The bright spark in the Kashima side, Hiroki Abe had a fantastic game. The 19-year-old was absolutely everywhere in attack, dazzling with his skill. However, his biggest contribution was his work ethic as he raced up and down the flank throughout the night.

Serginho has been an absolute revelation in the Kashima attack ever since he signed for them. The Brazilian wasn’t up to his usual antics in this game.

Another Kashima forward who has been on fire in the AFC Champions League is Yuma Suzuki. The 22-year-old has been lethal in attack and was rightly awarded the MVP award for the tournament. However, he did suffer tonight with his side concentrating on their defensive duties.

Anzai was thrown in the game by Oiwa to shake things up and he did his part.

Nagaki entered the fray in place of Suzuki to try and find the crucial goal.</s>The second leg of the AFC Champions League 2018 final is here. After a stunning victory at home in the first leg, it is clear that Kashima Antlers are the team with a distinct advantage heading into the second leg in Iran.

But it won’t be a straightforward and sure shot win for Kashima by any means. Persepolis have been exceptional at home, and haven’t lost a single game at the Azadi Stadium where they play tonight. While the Iranians will be well aware that even one goal by their opponents is capable of killing off any challenge they may have been able to mount, there still remains an air of confidence in the squad.

That confidence in Persepolis comes from their manager Branko Ivankovic who has helped the side believe in their chances in this tournament and has brought the best out of his players. But whether that dedication and commitment will be enough for his team to overturn a two goal deficit in front of their home fans is another matter altogether.

As mentioned earlier, the Iranians enter this game knowing that if Kashima score even one, they will then need to score four in order to win the AFC Champions League. But we could be in for an attacking display nonetheless from the Tehran giants, with scoring goals the primary target.

Persepolis will be without the services of their midfield ace Siamak Nemati after he was sent off during injury time in the first leg. While his absence could shake up the system slightly, we do still think Ivankovic will stick with his trusted 4-4-2 formation:

Kashima Antlers will be full of confidence heading into the game tonight, and know that this is their game to lose. A spirited display in the first leg at home took them to victory, and the Brazilian magic of Leo Silva and Serginho bore fruit yet again.

Speaking of Serginho, the Brazilian has been in prolific form since joining the J-League giants, and his goals have been the primary reason that the Antlers look so comfortable in the tournament so far. Undoubtedly, he will be the man to look out for up front yet again.

It is unlikely that Antlers’ boss Go Oiwa would want to change a winning formula, and with no suspensions or injuries to worry about as such, we think he will line up with the same side that played the first leg:</s>The last and final encounter of the AFC Champions League 2018 takes off tonight at the magnificent Azadi Stadium in Tehran, Iran. The second leg of the grand finale will take place between home side Persepolis FC and J-League heavyweights Kashima Antlers.

Both teams have worked their magic on the way to the final, and are well-deserved finalists considering the immense competition in this year’s gruelling tournament. Persepolis have reached the final of the AFC Champions League for the first time in their history, and a historic moment awaits them if they can find a way past the perennial overachievers Kashima Antlers.

The first leg of the final was an enthralling battle between the two Asian sides. However, it was the Antlers who emerged with a crucial 2-0 victory thanks to goals from Brazilian pair Leo Silva and Serginho. Heading into the second leg, the J-League side know they possess a distinct advantage.

But nothing is clear as day in the game of football, and a partisan crowd awaits the two teams as they enter Azadi Stadium today, and with the Iranian giants desperate to impress at their ‘fortress’, anything is possible. Persepolis are unbeaten at their home in Tehran and know that a very different game from the one in Japan could ensue on this day.

Kashima manager Go Oiwa would be smart not to tinker with a winning combination unless an unfortunate injury takes place, while Branko Ivankovic will be forced into a midfield change in his side owing to the injury time red card suffered by Siamak Nemati in the previous leg of the tie. Things didn’t go as planned for Persepolis on that particular evening, but could still end up being dramatically different on this occasion.

As for the players to watch out for, Kashima Antlers have some real firepower up front, with Yuma Suzuki ready to run the channels and get into promising positions, but the main man will certainly be Serginho.

The Brazilian scored in the first leg, just like he had in previous games for his team, and has proven lethal in front of goal. The forward is gifted in almost every department and adds some much needed South American flair to the Antlers’ style of play.

Persepolis pose a threat of their own going forward, and in Ali Alipour, possess a genuine striker capable of coming up with the goods when needed the most. Whether Alipour will have the kind of service and support he needs to score at least two goals remains an unanswered question, but his industry and goal-scoring prowess will most definitely come in handy.

After all is said and done tonight, there is no doubt that a contrast of emotions awaits us, and both teams will be hoping that they and their fans end up on the happier end of the spectrum.
Japanese side Kashima Antlers wins 2018 AFC Champions League after winning 2–0 on aggregate against Iranian Persepolis in the final.