After Urawa Reds became the first Japanese club to win Asia's premier club competition last season, J.League sides dominate the last eight line-up this year as Gamba Osaka and Kashima Antlers join the current holders in the hat, although all three teams will be kept apart in the opening knockout phase

Gamba and Kashima in particular will fancy their chances of going all the way having comfortably topped their groups, the latter netting 28 goals and conceding just three in six games.

Urawa, on the other hand, will be looking to avoid the fate of so many defending champions in previous years and make it through their first continental clash of 2008.

Kuruvchi will likely be the side they most want to avoid after the Uzbekistan outfit comfortably came through a group that featured last year's finalists Sepahan from Iran and traditional Saudi heavyweight Al Ittihad.

Adelaide United's goalless draw with Changchun Yatai in China on Thursday saw them make history as the first A-League side to reach the last eight and they will be no pushovers having won a group that also featured K-League outfit Pohang Steelers.

Adelaide coach Aurelio Vidmar is eagerly looking forward to finding out the identity of their quarter-final opponents.

"To get this far in the competition is extremely difficult so whoever we face in the knockout stage, it's going to be a tough match," he said.

"But I'm looking forward to find out who we're going to play and we can start our planning from there.

"It's hard to say who are the favourites but obviously Urawa Reds are the holders and a very good side as we saw last year. Playing against them at Saitama Stadium would be quite a challenge because it's just a sea of red there and a fantastic environment to play in."

The Middle Eastern contingent, meanwhile, is made up of Syrian side Al Karama, Iran's Saipa and Al Qadisiya from Kuwait.

Al Karama in the end made hard work of qualification, picking up only one point from their last two games.

However, it is the third consecutive year Mohammed Kwid's men have reached the knockout stages and will be relieved not to face Korean opposition after losing to Jeonbuk Motors in the 2006 final and Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma in the semi-finals last term.

However, Kwid admitted it may well be a new-look Al Karama that resumes Asian competition in September.

"I think that there will big changes in our team, particularly as the quarter-finals are at the start of next season, and we will be even more competitive."

Al Qadisiya squeezed through by virtue of a better head-to-head record over Pakhtakor after finishing level on points with the Uzbeks but are eyeing further progress.

"It was a great achievement to advance to the quarter-finals from such a tough group," said team manager Fawaz Al Hasawi.

"Our players put great effort into qualifying and hopefully they can continue their good performances in the competition."

Saipa will fly the flag for Iran, and despite coach Ali Daei leaving his post to concentrate on managing the national side, he is optimistic they can emulate Sepahan's performance from last year.

"Saipa have great ambition and they are capable of qualifying for the final of the competition and, hopefully, they will continue their good performances."