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Beijing Guo'an to host FC Seoul

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The knockout stage of the AFC Champions League is set to kick off across Asia here on Tuesday evening. Two Chinese clubs have made it out of the group stage - Beijing Guo'an and the defending Chinese League champions, Guangzhou Evergrande. Beijing will begin their two-legged tie with FC Seoul here in the capital tonight which will mean a raucous atmosphere at Workers' Stadium.

Beijing Guo'an return to the knockout stage of the AFC Champions League for the first time since 2010. It comes after securing the runners-up berth in Group G. However, with a limited resource of players, the team's head coach has been sacrificing games in the domestic league to ensure a better performance in the regional tournament.

Beijing Guo'an players in pre-game training. [Sina Sports]

Striker Freddie Kanoute and captain Xu Yunlong did not play against Guangzhou R&F last Friday, but will be in the starting 11. Their inclusion will mean a more offensive attack.

"We will definitely play offensive football as it is the style for our team at home," Guo'an Head Coach Aleksandar Stanojevic said, "of course, it needs the cooperation of our opponent and we will see if they can let us to play that style of football... The key point is we can play a good game and we win it after 180 minutes."

"Our performance in the domestic league was not very good as we have made some adjustments just for the Champions League," Defender Zhu Ting said, "we did that to ensure a better performance in the tournament. We will put in all our effort in the two games."

The Koreans had a strong showing in Group E, topping the pool, and picking up just one loss in the process. In the earlier stage they also faced a Chinese team, but that will have no bearing on this match.

"It is true that we won the two games against Jiangsu Sanity, however, that is in the past. Now our opponent is another team in the Chinese league and it is a better team as it is also in the last 16 of the AFC Champions League. So I will not underestimate Beijing Guo'an," said FC Seoul Head Coach Chioi Yong-soo.

"You know we came here to get a good result and we are going to focus ourselves and to make it more easy for our second game at home. That's all. I am expecting a good and tough game from both sides," FC Seoul striker Dejan Damjanovic said.

The best ever result for the K-League champions in the ACL was in the 2001-2002 season, when they lost in the final.

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