Ittihad beat its bitter rival Al-Hilal 3-1 at the Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium Tuesday to qualify for the quarterfinals of the Asian Champions League. Portuguese midfielder Lopes Nuno Assis put Ittihad in the lead 14 minutes into the match with his Algerian teammate striker Abdul-Malik Ziaya doubling the lead two minutes later. Assis succeeded in making it 3-0 for Ittihad. However, substitute midfielder Abdul Aziz Al-Dousari pulled one back in the 82nd minute. The Tigers dominated the first half of the match with their skipper Mohammed Noor at his best. On the other hand, Hilal striker Yasser Al-Qahtani remained ineffective, under a close watch of Ittihad defenders. Elsewhere Cerezo Osaka upstaged its more illustrious crosstown rival Gamba Osaka 1-0 to book a place in the Asian Champions League quarterfinals, while Jeonbuk Motors and Foolad Sepahan also advanced Tuesday. In Iran, Sepahan was reduced to 10 men but still beat Bunyodkor of Uzbekistan 3-1, while in South Korea, a hat trick by Brazilian midfielder Eninho gave Jeonbuk a 3-0 win over China's Tianjin Teda. Cerezo, which has largely lived in the shadow of 2008 ACL winner Gamba, secured the victory when Daisuke Takahashi scored with an angled shot in the 88th minute. Cerezo was rewarded when Takahashi fired home from the right edge of the penalty area, beating Tosuke Fujigawa at his near post, with the Gamba goalkeeper anticipating a cross rather than shot. Gamba players collapsed onto the pitch at the final whistle and the fans looked stunned at losing for only the fifth time in history to its smaller neighbor, and this time on the larger continental stage. Jeonbuk's journeyman midfielder Eninho scored in the 33rd and 44th minutes and completed his hat trick in the 84th to put the 2007 champion into the last eight. Tianjin was without two key imports due to suspension, captain and central defender Marko Zoric and Argentine forward Luciano Olguin. Defeat for Arie Haan's side ended China's participation in this year's competition. Sepahan was never really threatened by visiting Bunyodkor, the Uzbek league leader. Sepahan midfielder Fabio Januario opened the scoring in the 27th from long range, and six minutes later forward Ibrahima Toure doubled the lead. Seven minutes into the second half, Toure was sent off, and Bunyodkor took advantage in the 56th thanks to defender Sasa Dordevic. But Hadi Aghily, a veteran member of the 2007 final side, converted a penalty in the 68th to allow the new Iran Pro League champion to move on.
