The 2015 AFC Champions League final was the final of the 2015 AFC Champions League, the 34th edition of the top-level Asian club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 13th under the current AFC Champions League title.

The final was contested in two-legged home-and-away format between Emirati team Al-Ahli and Chinese team Guangzhou Evergrande. The first leg hosted by Al-Ahli at Al-Rashid Stadium in Dubai on 7 November 2015, while the second leg hosted by Guangzhou Evergrande at the Tianhe Stadium in Guangzhou on 21 November 2015. Having previously won the tournament in 2013 Guangzhou Evergrande has making its second final appearance in three years.

Guangzhou Evergrande won the final 1–0 on aggregate and as Asian champions earned the right to represent the AFC at the 2015 FIFA Club World Cup in Japan, entering at the quarterfinal stage.

Qualified teams TeamPrevious finals appearances (bold indicates winners) Al-AhliNone Guangzhou Evergrande2013

Venues

The 2015 AFC Champions League Final was contested in two-legged home-and-away format, held at the home of both finalists. It was the third consecutive year that the AFC adopted such an arrangement.

Al-Ahli's home venue, Al-Rashid Stadium, is a 9,415 seated stadium located in the city of Dubai.

Two previous final has been held in United Arab Emirates. The first one was in the first leg of the 2002–03 final, Al Ain defeated BEC Tero Sasana F.C. 2–0 in Tahnoun bin Mohammed Stadium in the city of Al Ain, and they eventually claimed the title 2–1 on aggregate. The second one was 10 years ago, in the first leg of the 2005 final, Al Ain was defeated by Saudis' team, Al-Ittihad, and they eventually lost the title 3–5 on aggregate.

Guangzhou Evergrande's home venue, Tianhe Stadium, is a 58,500 seated stadium located in the city of Guangzhou.

In the history of the competition, two finals have been held in China and this final will be the third, and the second that Guangzhou hosted. The first final hosted by a Chinese city in 1989–90, which was won by Chinese side Liaoning FC 3–2 against Nissan Yokohama in the city of Shenyang. The next final, the 2013 and second leg of the 2013, was hosted in Guangzhou. The 2013 final was won by Guangzhou Evergrande on the away goals rule with 3–3 on aggregate.

Road to the final

Note: In all results below, the score of the finalist is given first (H: home; A: away).

Al-AhliRound Guangzhou EvergrandeOpponentResultGroup stageOpponentResult Al-Ahli3–3 (H)Matchday 1 FC Seoul1–0 (H) Tractor Sazi0–1 (A)Matchday 2 Western Sydney Wanderers3–2 (A) FC Nasaf0–0 (H)Matchday 3 Kashima Antlers4–3 (H) FC Nasaf1–0 (A)Matchday 4 Kashima Antlers1–2 (A) Al-Ahli1–2 (A)Matchday 5 FC Seoul0–0 (A) Tractor Sazi3–2 (H)Matchday 6 Western Sydney Wanderers0–2 (H)Group D runners-upFinal standingsGroup H winnerOpponentAgg.1st leg2nd legKnockout stageOpponentAgg.1st leg2nd leg Al-Ain3–3 (a)0–0 (H)3–3 (A)Round of 16 Seongnam FC3–21–2 (A)2–0 (H) Naft Tehran3–11–0 (A)2–1 (H)Quarter-finals Kashiwa Reysol4–23–1 (A)1–1 (H) Al-Hilal4–31–1 (A)3–2 (H)Semi-finals Gamba Osaka2–12–1 (H)0–0 (A)

Rules The final was played on a home-and-away two-legged basis, with the order of legs decided by draw. The away goals rule, extra time (away goals do not apply in extra time) and penalty shoot-out were used to decide the winner if necessary.

Match details

First leg

Summary

Details

GK 12 Ahmed Mahmoud RB 26 Abdulaziz Haikel CB 2 Salmeen Khamis CB 21 Kwon Kyung-won LB 62 Abdelaziz Sanqour RM 8 Everton Ribeiro CM 88 Majed Hassan LM 4 Habib Fardan RF 11 Ahmed Khalil (c) CF 9 Lima LF 7 Ismail Al HammadiSubstitutes: GK 55 Majed Naser DF 5 Walid Abbas DF 80 Humaid Abdulla DF 77 Yousef Al Sayed MF 6 Hassan Abdurahman MF 71 Nawaf Mubarak FW 14 Oussama Assaidi Manager: Cosmin Olăroiu GK 19 Zeng Cheng RB 5 Zhang Linpeng CB 3 Mei Fang CB 6 Feng Xiaoting LB 35 Li Xuepeng CM 8 Paulinho CM 10 Zheng Zhi (c) RW 16 Huang Bowen AM 11 Ricardo Goulart LW 27 Zheng Long CF 9 Elkeson Substitutes: GK 22 Li Shuai DF 17 Liu Jian MF 2 Liao Lisheng MF 12 Wang Shangyuan MF 20 Yu Hanchao MF 25 Zou Zheng DF 28 Kim Young-gwon FW 29 Gao Lin Manager: Luiz Felipe Scolari

AFC Man of the Match: Zheng Zhi (Guangzhou Evergrande)

Assistant referees: Jeong Hae-sang (South Korea) Yoon Kwang-yeol (South Korea) Fourth official: Kim Hee-gon (South Korea)

Statistics

+First half Al-Ahli Guangzhou EvergrandeGoals scored 0 0Total shots 2 5Shots on target 1 1Saves 1 1Ball possession 41% 59%Corner kicks 3 5Fouls committed 7 4Offsides 1 0Yellow cards 0 1Red cards 0 0

+Second half Al-Ahli Guangzhou EvergrandeGoals scored 0 0Total shots 4 3Shots on target 3 3Saves 2 3Ball possession 47% 53%Corner kicks 4 1Fouls committed 13 4Offsides 1 0Yellow cards 1 1Red cards 1 0

+Overall Al-Ahli Guangzhou EvergrandeGoals scored 0 0Total shots 6 8Shots on target 4 4Saves 3 4Ball possession 47% 53%Corner kicks 7 6Fouls committed 20 8Offsides 2 0Yellow cards 1 2Red cards 1 0

Second leg

Summary

Details

GK 19 Zeng Cheng RB 5 Zhang LinpengCB 6 Feng XiaotingCB 28 Kim Young-gwonLB 25 Zou Zheng DM 10 Zheng Zhi (c)DM 8 PaulinhoAM 11 Ricardo Goulart RW 16 Huang Bowen LW 27 Zheng Long CF 9 ElkesonSubstitutes:GK 22 Li Shuai DF 3 Mei FangDF 33 Rong HaoDF 35 Li XuepengMF 17 Liu Jian MF 20 Yu HanchaoFW 29 Gao Lin Manager: Luiz Felipe Scolari GK 12 Ahmed MahmoudRB 62 Abdelaziz SanqourCB 2 Salmeen Khamis CB 21 Kwon Kyung-wonLB 5 Walid AbbasRM 8 Everton RibeiroCM 88 Majed Hassan LM 4 Habib Fardan RF 9 LimaCF 11 Ahmed Khalil (c) LF 7 Ismail Al HammadiSubstitutes:GK 55 Majed NaserDF 57 Mohamed Sebil DF 80 Humaid Abbas MF 6 Hassan AbdurahmanMF 70 Waleed HussainMF 71 Nawaf MubarakFW 14 Oussama Assaidi Manager: Cosmin Olăroiu

AFC Man of the Match: Elkeson (Guangzhou Evergrande)

Assistant referees: Abdukhamidullo Rasulov (Uzbekistan) Jahongir Saidov (Uzbekistan) Fourth official: Valentin Kovalenko (Uzbekistan)

Statistics

+First half Guangzhou Evergrande Al-AhliGoals scored 0 0Total shots 6 3Shots on target 3 2Saves 2 3Ball possession 53% 47%Corner kicks 3 0Fouls committed 5 5Offsides 1 1Yellow cards 0 1Red cards 0 0

+Second half Guangzhou Evergrande Al-AhliGoals scored 1 0Total shots 3 1Shots on target 1 0Saves 0 0Ball possession 57% 43%Corner kicks 2 1Fouls committed 7 11Offsides 0 3Yellow cards 2 0Red cards 0 1

+Overall Guangzhou Evergrande Al-AhliGoals scored 1 0Total shots 9 4Shots on target 4 2Saves 2 3Ball possession 57% 43%Corner kicks 5 1Fouls committed 12 16Offsides 1 4Yellow cards 2 1Red cards 0 1

References

External links AFC Champions League, the-AFC.com