# 2017 AFC Champions League knockout stage

The 2017 AFC Champions League knockout stage was played from 22 May to 25 November 2017. A total of 16 teams competed in the knockout stage to decide the champions of the 2017 AFC Champions League.

## Qualified teams

The winners and runners-up of each of the eight groups in the group stage advanced to the round of 16, with both West Region (Groups A–D) and East Region (Groups E–H) having eight qualified teams.
| Region | Group | Winners | Runners-up |
| West Region | A | Al-Ahli | Esteghlal |
| West Region | B | Lekhwiya | Esteghlal Khuzestan |
| West Region | C | Al-Ain | Al-Ahli |
| West Region | D | Al-Hilal | Persepolis |
| East Region | E | Kashima Antlers | Muangthong United |
| East Region | F | Urawa Red Diamonds | Shanghai SIPG |
| East Region | G | Kawasaki Frontale | Guangzhou Evergrande |
| East Region | H | Jiangsu Suning | Jeju United |

## Format

In the knockout stage, the 16 teams played a single-elimination tournament, with the teams split into the two regions until the final. Each tie was played on a home-and-away two-legged basis. The away goals rule, extra time (away goals would not apply in extra time) and penalty shoot-out were used to decide the winner if necessary (Regulations Article 11.3).

## Schedule

The schedule of each round was as follows. Matches in the West Region were played on Mondays and Tuesdays, while matches in the East Region were played on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
| Round | First leg | Second leg |
| Round of 16 | 22–24 May 2017 | 29–31 May 2017 |
| Quarter-finals | 21–23 August 2017 | 11–13 September 2017 |
| Semi-finals | 26–27 September 2017 | 17–18 October 2017 |
| Final | 18 November 2017 | 25 November 2017 |

## Bracket

The bracket of the knockout stage was determined as follows:
| Round | Matchups |
| Round of 16 | (Group winners host second leg) West Region Runner-up Group A vs. Winner Group C Runner-up Group C vs. Winner Group A Runner-up Group B vs. Winner Group D Runner-up Group D vs. Winner Group B East Region Runner-up Group E vs. Winner Group G Runner-up Group G vs. Winner Group E Runner-up Group F vs. Winner Group H Runner-up Group H vs. Winner Group F |
| Quarter-finals | (Matchups and order of legs decided by draw, involving four round of 16 winners each in West Region and East Region) West Region QF1 QF2 East Region QF3 QF4 |
| Semi-finals | (Winners QF1 and QF3 host first leg, Winners QF2 and QF4 host second leg) West Region SF1: Winner QF1 vs. Winner QF2 East Region SF2: Winner QF3 vs. Winner QF4 |
| Final | (Winner SF1 host first leg, Winner SF2 host second leg, as reversed from previous season's final) Winner SF1 vs. Winner SF2 |
The bracket was decided after the draw for the knockout stage, which was held on 6 June 2017, 16:00 MYT (UTC+8), at the JW Marriott Hotel Kuala Lumpur in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
| Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Round of 16 | | | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| Esteghlal | 1 | 1 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Al-Ain | 0 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Al-Ain | 0 | 6 | 6 | | | Al-Ain | 0 | 0 | 0 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Al-Hilal | 0 | 3 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| Esteghlal Khuzestan | 1 | 1 | 2 | | | Al-Hilal | 0 | 3 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| Al-Hilal | 2 | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Al-Hilal | 2 | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | Al-Hilal | 4 | 2 | 6 | | | | | |
| West Region | West Region | West Region | West Region | West Region | West Region | West Region | West Region | West Region | West Region | Al-Hilal | 4 | 2 | 6 | | | | | |
| West Region | West Region | West Region | West Region | West Region | West Region | West Region | West Region | West Region | West Region | Persepolis | 0 | 2 | 2 | | | | | |
| Persepolis | 0 | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | Persepolis | 0 | 2 | 2 | | | | | |
| Lekhwiya | 0 | 0 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Lekhwiya | 0 | 0 | 0 | | | Persepolis | 2 | 3 | 5 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Al-Ahli | 2 | 1 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| Al-Ahli | 1 | 3 | 4 | | | Al-Ahli | 2 | 1 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| Al-Ahli | 1 | 1 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Al-Ahli | 1 | 1 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | Al-Hilal | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Urawa Red Diamonds | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Shanghai SIPG | 2 | 3 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Urawa Red Diamonds | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Jiangsu Suning | 1 | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Jiangsu Suning | 1 | 2 | 3 | | | Shanghai SIPG (p) | 4 | 1 | 5 (5) | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Guangzhou Evergrande | 0 | 5 | 5 (4) | | | | | | | | | |
| Guangzhou Evergrande (a) | 1 | 1 | 2 | | | Guangzhou Evergrande | 0 | 5 | 5 (4) | | | | | | | | | |
| Kashima Antlers | 0 | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Kashima Antlers | 0 | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | Shanghai SIPG | 1 | 0 | 1 | | | | | |
| East Region | East Region | East Region | East Region | East Region | East Region | East Region | East Region | East Region | East Region | Shanghai SIPG | 1 | 0 | 1 | | | | | |
| East Region | East Region | East Region | East Region | East Region | East Region | East Region | East Region | East Region | East Region | Urawa Red Diamonds | 1 | 1 | 2 | | | | | |
| Muangthong United | 1 | 1 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | Urawa Red Diamonds | 1 | 1 | 2 | | | | | |
| Kawasaki Frontale | 3 | 4 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Kawasaki Frontale | 3 | 4 | 7 | | | Kawasaki Frontale | 3 | 1 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Urawa Red Diamonds | 1 | 4 | 5 | | | | | | | | | |
| Jeju United | 2 | 0 | 2 | | | Urawa Red Diamonds | 1 | 4 | 5 | | | | | | | | | |
| Urawa Red Diamonds (a.e.t.) | 0 | 3 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

## Round of 16

In the round of 16, the winners of one group played the runners-up of another group from the same region, with the matchups determined by the group stage draw, and the group winners hosting the second leg.
West Region :
| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
East Region :
| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |

### West Region

Al-Ain won 6–2 on aggregate.
Al-Ahli (KSA) won 4–2 on aggregate.
Al-Hilal won 4–2 on aggregate.
Persepolis won 1–0 on aggregate.

### East Region

Kawasaki Frontale won 7–2 on aggregate.
2–2 on aggregate. Guangzhou Evergrande won on away goals.
Shanghai SIPG won 5–3 on aggregate.
Urawa Red Diamonds won 3–2 on aggregate.

## Quarter-finals

The draw for the quarter-finals was held on 6 June 2017. In the quarter-finals, the four teams from the West Region played in two ties, and the four teams from the East Region played in two ties, with the matchups and order of legs decided by draw, without any seeding or country protection.
West Region :
| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
East Region :
| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |

### West Region

Al Hilal won 3–0 on aggregate.
Persepolis won 5–3 on aggregate.

### East Region

5–5 on aggregate. Shanghai SIPG won 5–4 on penalties.
Urawa Red Diamonds won 5–4 on aggregate.

## Semi-finals

In the semi-finals, the two quarter-final winners from the West Region played each other, and the two quarter-final winners from the East Region played each other, with the order of legs determined by the quarter-final draw.
West Region :
| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
East Region :
| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |

### West Region

Al Hilal won 6–2 on aggregate.

### East Region

Urawa Red Diamonds won 2–1 on aggregate.

## Final

In the final, the two semi-final winners played each other, with the order of legs (first leg hosted by team from the West Region, second leg hosted by team from the East Region) reversed from the previous season's final.
Urawa Red Diamonds won 2–1 on aggregate.

## Note

* 1 2 3 4 5 6 Matches between teams from Iran and Saudi Arabia were played on neutral venues due to deterioration of Iran–Saudi Arabia relations.
* ↑ The Persepolis v Lekhwiya match was played behind closed doors due to spectator misconduct during Persepolis's home match against Al-Wahda on 8 May 2017.