2016_AFC_Champions_League
2016 AFC Champions League
35th edition of premier club football tournament organized by the AFC
The 2016 AFC Champions League was the 35th edition of Asia's premier club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 14th under the current AFC Champions League title.
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 27 January – 26 November 2016 |
| Teams | 45 (from 17 associations) |
| Final positions | |
| Champions |  Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (2nd title) |
| Runners-up |  Al-Ain |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 126 |
| Goals scored | 312 (2.48 per match) |
| Attendance | 1,639,885 (13,015 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) |  Adriano (13 goals) |
| Best player(s) | Omar Abdulrahman |
| Fair play award | Al-Ain |
← 2015 2017 → | |
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors defeated Al-Ain in the final to win their second AFC Champions League title, and qualified as the AFC representative at the 2016 FIFA Club World Cup in Japan, their second appearance in the FIFA Club World Cup.[1][2] Guangzhou Evergrande were the defending champions, but were eliminated in the group stage.
The AFC Competitions Committee proposed a revamp of the AFC club competitions on 25 January 2014,[3] which was ratified by the AFC Executive Committee on 16 April 2014.[4] The 46 AFC member associations (excluding the associate member Northern Mariana Islands) are ranked based on their national team's and clubs' performance over the last four years in AFC competitions, with the allocation of slots for the 2015 and 2016 editions of the AFC club competitions determined by the 2014 rankings:[5]
- The associations are split into West Zone and East Zone, with 23 associations in each zone:
- West Zone consists of the associations from West Asia, Central Asia, South Asia, except India and Maldives
- East Zone consists of the associations from ASEAN and East Asia, plus India and Maldives
- In each zone, there are a total of 12 direct slots in the group stage, with the 4 remaining slots filled through play-offs.
- The top 12 associations in each zone as per the AFC rankings are eligible to enter the AFC Champions League, as long as they fulfill the AFC Champions League criteria.
- The top six associations in each zone get at least one direct slot in the group stage, while the remaining associations get only play-off slots:
- The associations ranked 1st and 2nd each get three direct slots and one play-off slot (in play-off round).
- The associations ranked 3rd and 4th each get two direct slots and two play-off slots (one in play-off round, one in preliminary round 2).
- The associations ranked 5th each get one direct slot and two play-off slots (both in preliminary round 2).
- The associations ranked 6th each get one direct slot and one play-off slot (in preliminary round 2).
- The associations ranked 7th to 12th each get one play-off slot (in preliminary round 1).
- The maximum number of slots for each association is one-third of the total number of clubs in the top division (e.g., Australia can only get a maximum of three total slots as there are only nine Australia-based clubs in the A-League).
The AFC Competitions Committee finalised the slot allocation for the 2015 and 2016 editions of the AFC Champions League based on the criteria, including the AFC rankings and the implementation of club licensing regulations, on 28 November 2014.[6][7][8]
The following table shows the slot allocation for the 2016 AFC Champions League, which are adjusted accordingly since some of the slots are unused.
| Participation for 2016 AFC Champions League[9] | |
|---|---|
| Fulfills participation criteria | |
| Does not fulfill participation criteria | |
|
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- Notes
- ^ United Arab Emirates had their fourth team entering the play-off round instead of the preliminary round 2 due to unused slots.
- ^ Qatar had their third and fourth teams entering the play-off round instead of the preliminary round 2 due to unused slots.
- ^ Iraq were allocated two preliminary round 2 slots, but were not allowed to participate as none of their teams passed the club licensing requirements.
- ^ Kuwait were allocated one preliminary round 1 slot, but could not participate due to FIFA's suspension of its football association.
- ^ Jordan had their team entering the play-off round instead of the preliminary round 1 due to unused slots.
- ^ a b c d Oman, Bahrain, Lebanon and Syria were allocated one preliminary round 1 slot, but were not allowed to participate as none of their teams passed the club licensing requirements.
- ^ Indonesia were allocated one preliminary round 2 slot, could not participate in the AFC Champions League due to FIFA's suspension of its football association.
- ^ a b Myanmar and Malaysia had their team entering the preliminary round 2 instead of the preliminary round 1 due to unused slots.
The following 45 teams from 17 associations entered the competition.[9]
In the following table, the number of appearances and last appearance count only those since the 2002–03 season (including qualifying rounds), when the competition was rebranded as the AFC Champions League. TH means title holders.
- Notes
- ^ China (CHN): Jiangsu Suning had its name changed from "Jiangsu Sainty" in December 2015. They are referred to as "Jiangsu FC" by the AFC in its official reports for the 2016 AFC Champions League.
- ^ Singapore (SIN): Since Brunei DPMM, the 2015 S.League champions, is a team managed by the National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam and thus ineligible to represent Singapore in AFC club competitions, their place was taken by Tampines Rovers, the league runners-up.
- ^ Thailand (THA): Since Suphanburi, the 2015 Thai Premier League 3rd place, failed to pass the club licensing requirements, their place was taken by Chonburi, the league 4th place.[10]
West Zone
East Zone(p) Qualifying play-off participants
The schedule of the competition is as follows (all draws are held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia).[11]
| Stage | Round | Draw date | First leg | Second leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preliminary stage | Preliminary round 1 | No draw | 27 January 2016 | |
| Preliminary round 2 | 2 February 2016 | |||
| Play-off stage | Play-off round | 9 February 2016 | ||
| Group stage | Matchday 1 | 10 December 2015[9] | 23–24 February 2016 | |
| Matchday 2 | 1–2 March 2016 | |||
| Matchday 3 | 15–16 March 2016 | |||
| Matchday 4 | 5–6 April 2016 | |||
| Matchday 5 | 19–20 April 2016 | |||
| Matchday 6 | 3–4 May 2016 | |||
| Knockout stage | Round of 16 | 17–18 May 2016 | 24–25 May 2016 | |
| Quarter-finals | 9 June 2016[12] | 23–24 August 2016 | 13–14 September 2016 | |
| Semi-finals | 27–28 September 2016 | 18–19 October 2016 | ||
| Final | 19 November 2016 | 26 November 2016 | ||
In the qualifying play-off, each tie was played as a single match. Extra time and penalty shoot-out were used to decide the winner if necessary (Regulations Article 10.2). The eight winners of the play-off round advanced to the group stage to join the 24 direct entrants. All losers in each round which were from associations with only play-off slots entered the AFC Cup group stage.[2] The bracket of the qualifying play-off was determined by the AFC based on the association ranking of each team, with the team from the higher-ranked association hosting each match. Teams from the same association could not be placed in the same play-off.[13][14]
Preliminary round 1
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
Mohun Bagan  |
3–1 |  Tampines Rovers |
Preliminary round 2
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
Hà Nội T&T  |
1–0 |  Kitchee |
Chonburi  |
3–2 (a.e.t.) |  Yangon United |
Shandong Luneng  |
6–0 | Mohun Bagan |
| Muangthong United |
0–0 (a.e.t.) (3–0 p) |
 Johor Darul Ta'zim |
Play-off round
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
Al-Ittihad  |
2–1 |  Al-Wehdat |
Naft Tehran  |
0–2 |  El Jaish |
Bunyodkor  |
2–0 | Al-Shabab |
| Al-Jazira |
2–2 (a.e.t.) (5–4 p) |
Al-Sadd |
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Pohang Steelers |
3–0 | Hà Nội T&T |
FC Tokyo  |
9–0 | Chonburi |
Adelaide United  |
1–2 | Shandong Luneng |
| Shanghai SIPG |
3–0 | Muangthong United |
The draw for the group stage was held on 10 December 2015, 16:00 MYT (UTC+8), at the Petaling Jaya Hilton Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.[9] The 32 teams were drawn into eight groups of four. Teams from the same association could not be drawn into the same group.[15][16] In the group stage, each group was played on a home-and-away round-robin basis. The winners and runners-up of each group advanced to the round of 16.[2]
| Tiebreakers |
|---|
The teams were ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss). If tied on points, tiebreakers would be applied in the following order (Regulations Article 11.5):[2]
|
Group A
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | LOK | NAS | ITT | SEP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lokomotiv Tashkent |
6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 10 | Advance to knockout stage | — | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | |
| 2 | Al-Nasr |
6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 9 | 1–1 | — | 0–0 | 2–0 | ||
| 3 | Al-Ittihad |
6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 4 | +5 | 9 | 1–1 | 1–2 | — | 4–0 | ||
| 4 | Sepahan |
6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 11 | −9 | 3 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 0–2 | — |
Group B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | ZOB | LEK | NSR | BYD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zob Ahan |
6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 2 | +10 | 14 | Advance to knockout stage | — | 0–0 | 3–0 | 5–2 | |
| 2 | Lekhwiya |
6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 2 | +5 | 9 | 0–1 | — | 4–0 | 0–0 | ||
| 3 | Al-Nassr |
6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 14 | −9 | 5 | 0–3 | 1–1 | — | 3–3 | ||
| 4 | Bunyodkor |
6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 11 | −6 | 3 | 0–0 | 0–2 | 0–1 | — |
Group C
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | TRA | HIL | PAK | JAZ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tractor Sazi |
6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 3 | +7 | 12 | Advance to knockout stage | — | 1–2 | 2–0 | 4–0 | |
| 2 | Al-Hilal |
6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 7 | +3 | 11 | 0–2 | — | 4–1 | 1–0 | ||
| 3 | Pakhtakor |
6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 9 | +1 | 10 | 1–0 | 2–2 | — | 3–0 | ||
| 4 | Al-Jazira |
6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 13 | −11 | 1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–3 | — |
Group D
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | JSH | AIN | AHL | NSF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | El Jaish |
6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 8 | −2 | 10 | Advance to knockout stage | — | 2–1 | 1–4 | 1–0 | |
| 2 | Al-Ain |
6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 6 | +2 | 10 | 1–2 | — | 1–0 | 2–0 | ||
| 3 | Al-Ahli |
6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 7 | +3 | 9 | 2–0 | 1–2 | — | 2–1 | ||
| 4 | Nasaf Qarshi |
6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 7 | −3 | 5 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | — |
Group E
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | JHM | TOK | JIA | BBD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors |
6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 9 | +4 | 10 | Advance to knockout stage | — | 2–1 | 2–2 | 2–0 | |
| 2 | FC Tokyo |
6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 10 | 0–3 | — | 0–0 | 3–1 | ||
| 3 | Jiangsu Suning |
6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 7 | +3 | 9 | 3–2 | 1–2 | — | 3–0 | ||
| 4 | Becamex Binh Duong |
6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 13 | −7 | 4 | 3–2 | 1–2 | 1–1 | — |
Group F
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | SEO | SHD | HIR | BUR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FC Seoul |
6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 5 | +12 | 13 | Advance to knockout stage | — | 0–0 | 4–1 | 2–1 | |
| 2 | Shandong Luneng |
6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 5 | +2 | 11 | 1–4 | — | 1–0 | 3–0 | ||
| 3 | Sanfrecce Hiroshima |
6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 8 | +1 | 9 | 2–1 | 1–2 | — | 3–0 | ||
| 4 | Buriram United |
6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 16 | −15 | 1 | 0–6 | 0–0 | 0–2 | — |
Group G
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | SSI | MEL | SSB | GAM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shanghai SIPG |
6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 8 | +2 | 12 | Advance to knockout stage | — | 3–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | |
| 2 | Melbourne Victory |
6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 9 | 2–1 | — | 0–0 | 2–1 | ||
| 3 | Suwon Samsung Bluewings |
6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 4 | +3 | 9 | 3–0 | 1–1 | — | 0–0 | ||
| 4 | Gamba Osaka |
6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 9 | −5 | 2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–2 | — |
Group H
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | SYD | URA | GZE | POH | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sydney FC |
6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 10 | Advance to knockout stage | — | 0–0 | 2–1 | 1–0 | |
| 2 | Urawa Red Diamonds |
6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 9 | 2–0 | — | 1–0 | 1–1 | ||
| 3 | Guangzhou Evergrande |
6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 5 | +1 | 8 | 1–0 | 2–2 | — | 0–0 | ||
| 4 | Pohang Steelers |
6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 5 | −3 | 5 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 0–2 | — |
In the knockout stage, the 16 teams played a single-elimination tournament, with the teams split between the two zones until the final. Each tie was played on a home-and-away two-legged basis. The away goals rule, extra time (away goals do not apply in extra time) and penalty shoot-out were used to decide the winner if necessary (Regulations Article 12.3).[2]
Bracket
| Round of 16 | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||||||||||||||
| FC Tokyo
| 2 | 0 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Shanghai SIPG (a)
| 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Shanghai SIPG
| 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
| 0 | 5 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Melbourne Victory
| 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
| 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
| 4 | 1 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| FC Seoul
| 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Urawa Red Diamonds
| 1 | 2 | 3 (6) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| FC Seoul (p)
| 0 | 3 | 3 (7) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| FC Seoul
| 3 | 1 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Shandong Luneng
| 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Shandong Luneng (a)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Sydney FC
| 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
| 2 | 1 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Al-Ain
| 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Al-Ain
| 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Zob Ahan
| 1 | 0 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Al-Ain
| 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Lokomotiv Tashkent
| 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Al-Hilal
| 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Lokomotiv Tashkent
| 0 | 2 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Al-Ain
| 3 | 2 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| El Jaish
| 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Lekhwiya
| 0 | 4 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| El Jaish
| 4 | 2 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| El Jaish (1st leg awd.)
| 3 | 1 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Al-Nasr
| 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Al-Nasr
| 4 | 1 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Tractor Sazi
| 1 | 3 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Round of 16
In the round of 16, the winners of one group played the runners-up of another group from the same zone, with the group winners hosting the second leg.[14]
| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al-Hilal |
1–2 | Lokomotiv Tashkent |
0–0 | 1–2 |
| Al-Nasr |
5–4 | Tractor Sazi |
4–1 | 1–3 |
| Al-Ain |
3–1 | Zob Ahan |
1–1 | 2–0 |
| Lekhwiya |
4–6 | El Jaish |
0–4 | 4–2 |
| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melbourne Victory |
2–3 | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors |
1–1 | 1–2 |
| FC Tokyo |
2–2 (a) | Shanghai SIPG |
2–1 | 0–1 |
| Urawa Red Diamonds |
3–3 (6–7 p) | FC Seoul |
1–0 | 2–3 (a.e.t.) |
| Shandong Luneng |
3–3 (a) | Sydney FC |
1–1 | 2–2 |
Quarter-finals
In the quarter-finals, the four teams from the West Zone were drawn into two ties, and the four teams from the East Zone were drawn into the other two ties, with the order of legs also decided by the draw.[17]
The draw for the quarter-finals was held on 9 June 2016, 16:00 MYT (UTC+8), at the Petaling Jaya Hilton Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.[12] There was no seeding or country protection, so teams from the same association could be drawn into the same tie.[17]
| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al-Ain |
1–0 | Lokomotiv Tashkent |
0–0 | 1–0 |
| El Jaish |
4–0 | Al-Nasr |
3–0 (awd.)[I] | 1–0 |
| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shanghai SIPG |
0–5 | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors |
0–0 | 0–5 |
| FC Seoul |
4–2 | Shandong Luneng |
3–1 | 1–1 |
- Notes
Semi-finals
In the semi-finals, the two quarter-final winners from the West Zone play each other, and the two quarter-final winners from the East Zone play each other, with the order of legs determined by the quarter-final draw.[17]
| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors |
5–3 | FC Seoul |
4–1 | 1–2 |
Final
In the final, the two semi-final winners play each other, with the order of legs reversed from the previous season's final, with the team from the East Zone hosting the first leg, and the team from the West Zone hosting the second leg.[17]
| Al-Ain | 1–1 | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors |
|---|---|---|
Lee Myung-joo  34' |
Report | Han Kyo-won 30' |
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors won 3–2 on aggregate.
Main awards
All-Star Squad
Source:[21]
| Position | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Kwoun Sun-tae |
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors |
| Ignatiy Nesterov |
Lokomotiv Tashkent | |
| Defenders | Ismail Ahmed |
Al-Ain |
| Gil |
Shandong Luneng | |
| Kim Ju-young |
Shanghai SIPG | |
| Cho Sung-hwan |
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | |
| Kwak Tae-hwi |
FC Seoul | |
| Midfielders | Omar Abdulrahman |
Al-Ain |
| Kim Bo-kyung |
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | |
| Server Djeparov |
Lokomotiv Tashkent | |
| Lee Jae-sung |
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | |
 Seydou Keita |
El Jaish | |
| Leonardo |
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | |
 Walter Montillo |
Shandong Luneng | |
| Lee Myung-joo |
Al-Ain | |
| Forwards | Adriano |
FC Seoul |
 Danilo Moreno Asprilla |
Al-Ain | |
| Caio |
Al-Ain | |
 Dejan Damjanović |
FC Seoul | |
| Hulk |
Shanghai SIPG | |
| Wu Lei |
Shanghai SIPG | |
| Ricardo Lopes |
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | |
| Romarinho |
El Jaish | |
Opta Best XI
Source:[22]
| Position | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | Khalid Eisa |
Al-Ain |
| Defenders | Ahmed Al-Yassi |
Al-Nasr |
| Ismail Ahmed |
Al-Ain | |
| Mahmoud Khamees |
Al-Nasr | |
| Midfielders | Omar Abdulrahman |
Al-Ain |
| Leonardo |
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | |
| Lee Jae-sung |
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | |
| Wu Lei |
Shanghai SIPG | |
| Forwards | Adriano |
FC Seoul |
| Douglas |
Al-Ain | |
| Romarinho |
El Jaish |
| Rank | Player | Team | MD1 | MD2 | MD3 | MD4 | MD5 | MD6 | 2R1 | 2R2 | QF1 | QF2 | SF1 | SF2 | F1 | F2 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adriano |
FC Seoul |
4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 13 | |||||||
| 2 | Leonardo |
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors |
1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 10 | ||||||||
| 3 | Romarinho |
El Jaish |
1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | |||||||||
| 4 | Dejan Damjanović |
FC Seoul |
1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | |||||||||
| Douglas |
Al-Ain |
1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | |||||||||||
| Igor Sergeev |
Pakhtakor |
1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | |||||||||||
| Lee Dong-gook |
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors |
1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | |||||||||||
| Wu Lei |
Shanghai SIPG |
1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | ||||||||||
| 9 | Danilo Moreno Asprilla |
Al-Ain |
1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||||||||||
 Besart Berisha |
Melbourne Victory |
1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |||||||||||
| Elkeson |
Shanghai SIPG |
1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | ||||||||||||
 Abderrazak Hamdallah |
El Jaish |
1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |||||||||||
| Jô |
Jiangsu Suning |
1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |||||||||||
| Nguyễn Anh Đức |
Becamex Bình Dương |
1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | ||||||||||||
| Diego Tardelli |
Shandong Luneng |
1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
Note: Goals scored in the qualifying play-off are not counted when determining top scorer (see regulations, Article 77.4).[2]
On 25 January 2016, the AFC announced changes to the group stage schedule due to Saudi Arabia's refusal to play in Iran.[26] After the changes, all matches between teams from Iran and Saudi Arabia (including possible play-off winners) were rescheduled to be played on matchdays 5 and 6 (19–20 April and 3–4 May). The venues of these matches would be decided after an evaluation deadline of 15 March 2016. As there had not been a return to normal relations between the two countries by then with Saudi Arabia refusing to lift their travel restrictions to Iran, the AFC accepted the Saudi Arabian Football Federation's proposal of playing all matches between teams from Iran and Saudi Arabia in neutral venues.[27] The Saudi Arabian Football Federation supports its clubs who refuse to travel to Iran.[28] The Iranian Football Federation has stated that it could withdraw from the AFC Champions League due to the venue changes.[29]
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- "2016 AFC Champions League Competition Regulations" (PDF). AFC. 28 November 2015.
- "Revamp of AFC competitions". AFC. 25 January 2014.
- "ExCo approves expanded AFC Asian Cup finals". AFC. 16 April 2014.
- "AFC MA Ranking as at 3 November 2014" (PDF). AFC.
- "AFC Competitions Committee meeting". AFC. 28 November 2014.
- "AFC Champions League slots allocated for 2015-2016". AFC. 4 December 2014.
- "Slot allocation for ACL 2015 - 2016" (PDF). AFC.
- "Champions Guangzhou Evergrande to learn ACL 2016 opponents". AFC. 4 December 2015.
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