(MENAFN- The Peninsula)
Qatar's Lekhwiya will kick off their sixth successive AFC Champions League campaign when they host Al Jazira of the United Arab Emirates at Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium in Group B today.
Lekhwiya will be desperate to improve on their last home game in the continental competition when they lost 4-0 to compatriots El Jaish in the 2016 Round of 16.
Djamel Belmadi's side, who will be without suspended defender Chico Flores, have failed to win their previous two Qatar Stars League fixtures but remain level on points with Al Sadd at the top of the standings.
Opponents Al Jazira, meanwhile, are the runaway UAE Pro League leaders having won eight on the bounce and will have high hopes of bettering a hugely disappointing group-stage elimination in 2016 in which they picked up just a solitary point.
Tomorrow, In Group D, Qatar Stars League champions Al Rayyan, under the guidance of Michael Laudrup, meanwhile, host Al Wahda of the United Arab Emirates with the teams' last appearance in the AFC Champions League coming in 2014 and 2011 respectively.
Also in Group D, Iranian heavyweights Persepolis return to the mix after missing out in 2016 and will open their campaign against two-time continental champions Al Hilal also tomorrow. Despite boasting an impressive record domestically, Persepolis have yet to progress beyond the Round of 16 on the continent, while Al Hilal will be aiming to better their own last-16 performance from 2016 when they were ousted by Lokomotiv.
In Group C, Al Ain will attempt to bounce back from the disappointment of their final defeat to Jeonbuk when they host 2010 runners-up Zobahan tomorrow - a repeat of last year's Round of 16 clash.
As ever, the home side will look to their talisman, 2016 AFC Player of the Year Omar Abdulrahman, to lead them to victory but the Emiratis will be aware that Zobahan will be no pushovers after the Iranians claimed a 1-1 draw on their last visit to Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium. And perennial qualifiers Bunyodkor, who again advanced via the Play-offs to secure their 10th consecutive appearance, travel to Jeddah to take on Christian Gross's Al Ahli to round off the fixtures in the West.
Meanwhile in Group B today, another debutant, Esteghlal Khouzestan of Islamic Republic of Iran, will open the competition by taking on Saudi Arabia's Al Fateh, whose only previous appearance came in 2014.
Esteghlal Khouzestan caused a major upset by claiming their maiden Iran Pro League title last year and have a recent history that mirrors that of their opponents, who did likewise in winning their first and only Saudi Professional League championship in 2013.
Meanwhile today, the 2015 runners-up Al Ahli of the United Arab Emirates will take on two-time Asian champions Esteghlal in a Group A clash.
Al Ahli narrowly missed out on winning the 2015 competition after suffering a 1-0 aggregate defeat to Guangzhou Evergrande in the final, while Esteghlal return for the first time since 2014 having seen off Al Sadd on penalties following a scoreless draw to advance via the Play-offs. Elsewhere in Group A, 2016 quarter-finalists Lokomotiv will meet Saudi Arabian debutants Al Taawoun on the back of producing their best performance to date in the continental tournament.
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