Gamba aim to land konckout stage berth
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In Group F, with both qualification places wrapped up by Nagoya and FC Seoul, the pair are still gunning for the all-important home advantage in the last 16.
With both sides level on points after five games, Nagoya know a win away to Al Ain will secure top spot after beating FC Seoul 2-0 last month, while the K-League outfit will look to beat Hangzhou Greentown in China and hope the Japanese side slip up in the Middle East.
In the West, Al Gharafa need to beat Al Hilal in Riyadh by at least two goals to deny the Saudi side a place in the last 16 from Group A and coach Bruno Metsu will demand the same performance which saw the Qatar Crown Prince Cup winners overturn a 2-1 half-time deficit to keep their qualification hopes alive with a 5-2 win over Al Jazira last week.
Al Gharafa, though, will be without influential midfielder Juninho after the Brazilian picked up a second yellow card of the campaign against Al Jazira.
Al Hilal, who beat Al Gharafa in the quarter-finals last year, can afford to lose by a single goal and still go through to the knockout stage, although last year's semi-finalists will be gunning for all three points while hoping Sepahan slip up against Al Jazira to claim top spot and home advantage in the one-off last 16.
Finally in Group B, Esteghlal entertain Al Nassr with the home side needing to win to stand a chance of joining Al Sadd in the last 16.
Tournament debutants Al Nassr currently occupy second place behind already qualified Al Sadd with a three-point cushion and can afford to lose by a single goal, while Esteghlal must better the 2-1 win the Saudi side recorded on home soil in March.
Esteghlal are boosted by the return from suspension of defender Hanif Omran Zadeh, while Al Nassr will be without Australian defender Jonathan McKain.
Qatar's Al Sadd, who came through the qualifying rounds to earn a place in the group stage, are already certain of a spot in the knockout stage but must beat already eliminated Pakhtakor to make sure of top spot and home advantage in the last 16.
Korean defender Lee Jung-soo, the only Al Sadd player to have scored twice during the group stage, is suspended after receiving his second yellow card of the competition during the 2-2 draw with Esteghlal last week. However, midfielder Talal Al Bloushi is available after serving a one-game ban.
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