South Korean side Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors ended the group stage of the continent's top club football tournament with a draw on Tuesday.
Jeonbuk were held to a scoreless tie by Buriram United in their final Group G match at the Asian Football Confederation Champions League on Tuesday at Jeonju World Cup Stadium in Jeonju, 240 kilometers south of Seoul.
(Yonhap)
The result meant nothing to Jeonbuk, who had already clinched the top seed in Group G with a victory two weeks ago. After posting 13 points on four wins, one draw and one loss in the group stage, Jeonbuk will now chase their third AFC Champions League crown, and the first since 2016.
Jeonbuk had 18 shot attempts against Buriram but only managed three of them on target.
The other South Korean club in action on Tuesday, Ulsan Hyundai FC, got blown out by Shanghai SIPG FC 5-0 in Group H action at Shanghai Stadium in Shanghai. But Ulsan, too, had secured the No. 1 spot in their group two weeks ago, and they'll look to win their second AFC title after going all the way in 2012. Ulsan finished group play with 11 points from three wins, two draws and a loss.
Shanghai, needing a victory to get into the round of 16, thoroughly outplayed Ulsan. Oscar opened the scoring in the seventh minute en route a hat trick, with Li Shenglong and Hu Jinghang chipping in a goal apiece. Shanghai outshot Ulsan 12-2.
In the two-legged round of 16, Jeonbuk will face the runners-up from Group H, Shanghai. Ulsan will go up against Urawa Red Diamonds, who ended up as the second seed in Group G.
Their matches will take place on June 19 and June 26, respectively.
On Wednesday, two other K League clubs, Gyeongnam FC and Daegu FC, will try to join Jeonbuk and Ulsan in the knockouts.
Gyeongnam will host Johor Darul Ta'zim at Changwon Football Center in Changwon, 400 kilometers southeast of Seoul, in a must-win Group E showdown. Daegu FC will take on Guangzhou Evergrande at Tianhe Stadium in Guangzhou, where they only need a draw to advance out of Group F.
The last time the K League had four clubs in the round of 16 was in 2015. (Yonhap)
