# 2005 AFC Champions League

The 2005 AFC Champions League was the 24th edition of the top-level Asian club football tournament and the 3rd edition under the current AFC Champions League title. The championship was retained by the Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad with a 5–3 aggregate victory over Al Ain from the United Arab Emirates. Following a 1–1 draw at the Tahnoun bin Mohammed Stadium in Al Ain in the first leg, Al-Ittihad recorded a 4–2 victory at the Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium in Jeddah to lift the trophy for the second consecutive season. They also qualified for the 2005 FIFA Club World Cup.

## Format
### Group Stage

A total of 28 clubs were divided into 7 groups of four, based on region i.e. East Asian and Southeast Asian clubs were drawn in groups E to G, while the rest were grouped in groups A to D. Each club played double round-robin (home and away) against fellow three group members, a total of 6 matches each. Clubs received 3pts for a win, 1pt for a tie, 0pts for a loss. The clubs were ranked according to points and tie breakers were in the following order:
* Points earned between the clubs in question
* Goal Differential between the clubs in question
* Goals For between the clubs in question
* Points earned within the group
* Goal Differential within the group
* Goals For within the group
The seven group winners along with the defending champion advanced to the quarter-finals.

### Knockout Round

All 8 clubs were randomly matched; however, the only restriction was that the clubs from the same country could not face each other in the quarter-finals. The games were conducted in 2 legs, home and away, and the aggregate score decided the match winner. If the aggregate score couldn't produce a winner, "away goals rule" was used. If still tied, clubs played extra time, where "away goals rule" still applied. If still tied, the game went to penalties.

## Teams

Syria were promoted to 'mature' status (after both their representatives had reached the 2004 AFC Cup final) while Bahrain were excluded from AFC competitions for 2005 following the withdrawal of both their Champions' League entrants in 2004.

### Qualified Teams

| West Asia | West Asia | East Asia | East Asia |
| Quarter Finals ||||
| Team | Qualifying method | Team | Qualifying method |
| Al-Ittihad | Defending champions |
| Group Stage ||||
| Team | Qualifying method | Team | Qualifying method |
| PAS Tehran | 2003–04 Iran Pro League champions | Shenzhen Jianlibao | 2004 Chinese Super League champions |
| Sepahan | 2003–04 Hazfi Cup winners | Shandong Luneng Taishan | 2004 Chinese FA Cup winners |
| Al-Zawraa | 2003–04 Iraqi Premier League Central Group 1 play-off winner | Persebaya Surabaya | 2004 Liga Indonesia Premier Division champions |
| Al-Shorta | 2003–04 Iraqi Premier League Central Group 2 play-off winner | PSM Makassar | 2004 Liga Indonesia Premier Division runners-up |
| Al-Salmiya | 2003–04 Kuwaiti Premier League runners-up | Yokohama F. Marinos | 2004 J.League Division 1 champions |
| Kuwait SC | 2004 Kuwait Emir Cup runners-up | Júbilo Iwata | 2003 Emperor's Cup winners |
| Al Sadd | 2003–04 Qatar Stars League champions | Suwon Samsung Bluewings | 2004 K League champions |
| Al-Rayyan | 2003–04 Emir of Qatar Cup winners | Pusan i.cons | 2004 Korean FA Cup winners |
| Al Shabab | 2003–04 Saudi Premier League champions | Krung Thai Bank | 2003–04 Thai League champions |
| Al Ahli | 2004 Saudi Crown Prince Cup runners-up | BEC-Tero Sasana | 2003–04 Thai League runners-up |
| Al-Wahda | 2003–04 Syrian Premier League champions | Hoang Anh Gia Lai | 2004 V-League champions |
| Al-Jaish | 2003–04 Syrian Cup winners | Binh Dinh | 2004 Vietnamese Cup winners |
| Al Ain | 2003–04 UAE Football League champions |
| Al-Ahli | 2003–04 UAE President's Cup winners |
| Pakhtakor | 2004 Uzbek League champions & 2004 Uzbekistan Cup winners |
| Neftchi Fergana | 2004 Uzbek League runners-up |

#### Notes

* ^ Iraq (IRQ): Due to security issues and scheduling difficulties, the 2003–04 Iraqi Premier League season was cancelled in June 2004 during the group stage. The Iraq Football Association decided that play-offs would be held between the top two teams from each Central Group at the time of cancellation (not including Al-Talaba who had initially been invited to participate in the Arab Champions League) to determine which clubs would qualify for the AFC Champions League. The play-offs were won by Al-Zawraa and Al-Shorta respectively.
* ^ Kuwait (KUW): Al-Qadsia were champions of the 2003–04 Kuwaiti Premier League and winners of the 2004 Kuwait Emir Cup but were banned from competing in all AFC competitions after Kuwaiti security personnel assaulted Al Sadd players following a match in last year's competition.
* ^ Saudi Arabia (KSA): 2004 Saudi Crown Prince Cup winners, Al-Ittihad, had already qualified for the AFC Champions League as reigning champions.

## Group stage
### Group A

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| PAS | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 4 | +8 | 16 |
| Al Salmiya | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 9 | −1 | 9 |
| Al Rayyan | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 7 | −1 | 7 |
| Al Shurta | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 8 | −6 | 2 |

### Group B

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Al Ain | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 6 | +7 | 13 |
| Sepahan | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 6 | +4 | 11 |
| Al Shabab | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| Al Wahda | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 16 | −11 | 0 |

### Group C

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Al Sadd | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 6 | +2 | 12 |
| Neftchi | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 7 | +1 | 9 |
| Al Kuwait | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 6 | −1 | 7 |
| Al-Ahli | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 10 | −2 | 7 |
* ↑ awarded 3–0 to Neftchi because Al-Ahli failed to show up.

### Group D

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Al-Ahli | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 5 | +13 | 15 |
| Pakhtakor | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 8 | +1 | 9 |
| Al-Zawra | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 13 | −7 | 7 |
| Al-Jaish | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 14 | −7 | 4 |

### Group E

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Shenzhen Jianlibao | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 3 | +6 | 13 |
| Suwon Samsung Bluewings | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 3 | +11 | 13 |
| Jubilo Iwata | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 4 | +7 | 9 |
| Hoang Anh Gia Lai | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 25 | −24 | 0 |

### Group F

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Shandong Luneng Taishan | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 2 | +13 | 18 |
| Yokohama F. Marinos | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 4 | +6 | 12 |
| PSM Makassar | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 14 | −10 | 4 |
| BEC Tero | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 12 | −9 | 1 |

### Group G

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Busan IPark | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 0 | +25 | 18 |
| Krung Thai | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 9 | −4 | 9 |
| Persebaya | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 10 | −8 | 4 |
| Binh Dinh | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 15 | −13 | 4 |

## Knock-out stage
### Bracket

| Quarter finals | Quarter finals | Quarter finals | Quarter finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| Al Ain (a) | 1 | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | |
| PAS | 1 | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | |
| PAS | 1 | 3 | 4 | Al Ain | 6 | 0 | 6 | | | | |
| | | | | Shenzhen Jianlibao | 0 | 0 | 0 | | | | |
| Al-Ahli | 2 | 1 | 3 | Shenzhen Jianlibao | 0 | 0 | 0 | | | | |
| Shenzhen Jianlibao (a.e.t.) | 1 | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | |
| Shenzhen Jianlibao (a.e.t.) | 1 | 3 | 4 | | | | | Al Ain | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| | | | | | | | | Al-Ittihad | 1 | 4 | 5 |
| Busan IPark | 3 | 2 | 5 | | | | | | | | | Al-Ittihad | 1 | 4 | 5 |
| Al Sadd | 0 | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | |
| Al Sadd | 0 | 1 | 1 | Busan IPark | 0 | 0 | 0 | | | | |
| | | | | Al-Ittihad | 5 | 2 | 7 | | | | |
| Shandong Luneng Taishan | 1 | 2 | 3 | Al-Ittihad | 5 | 2 | 7 | | | | |
| Al-Ittihad | 1 | 7 | 8 | | | | | | | | |

### Quarter-finals

| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Busan IPark | 5–1 | Al Sadd | 3–0 | 2–1 |
| Shandong Luneng Taishan | 3–8 | Al-Ittihad (2004 Champion) | 1–1 | 2–7 |
| Al Ain | 4–4 (a) | PAS | 1–1 | 3–3 |
| Al-Ahli | 3–4 | Shenzhen Jianlibao | 2–1 | 1–3 (a.e.t.) |

#### Second leg

Shenzhen Jianlibao won 4–3 on aggregate.
4–4 on aggregate, Al Ain won on away goals.
Busan IPark won 5–1 on aggregate.
Al-Ittihad won 8–3 on aggregate.

### Semi-finals

| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Busan IPark | 0–7 | Al-Ittihad | 0–5 | 0–2 |
| Al Ain | 6–0 | Shenzhen Jianlibao | 6–0 | 0–0 |

#### Second leg

Al Ain won 6–0 on aggregate.
Al-Ittihad won 7–0 on aggregate.

### Final

| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Al Ain | 3–5 | Al-Ittihad | 1–1 | 2–4 |

#### Second leg

Al-Ittihad won 5–3 on aggregate.