The pressure was on Zlatko Dalic’s men after they had been pegged back 1-1 in the first-leg a week ago despite scoring early and dominating for large spells.
Goals from Lee Myung-joo and Danillo Asprilla in Isfahan sent the UAE side through 3-1 on aggregate.
At the same stage of the competition last season, the Boss were dumped out by fellow UAE giants
Al Ahli on away goals after a 3-3 draw at the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium followed a 0-0 in the opener in Dubai.
And they could face another Emirati team after the Blue Wave booked their spot in the last eight the previous night with a 5-4 aggregate win against Tractor Sazi.
Al Ain talisman Omar Abdulrahman was predictably the catalyst behind their triumph, setting up both goals last night. The UAE string-puller sold a brilliant dummy to full-back Ali Hamam in the 12th minute and swept into the penalty area before cutting back to South Korea midfielder Lee.
The 26-year-old still had much to do, opening up his body to plant a side-footed effort brilliantly into Mohammadrashid Mazaheri’s top left-hand corner.
FULL TIME | Zobahan 0-2 @alainfcae | Al Ain reach the #ACL2016 quarter finals after winning 3-1 on agg. #ZOBvAIN pic.twitter.com/zEAI0ZlcQ3
— AFC Champions League (@TheAFCCL) May 25, 2016
They almost made it two before half-time when Asprilla won the ball on the edge of his own box and launched a lightening counter-attack. He fed Abdulrahman who played the ball back to him, the Colombian unleashing a rasping, dipping drive that had Mazaheri rooted to the spot but drifted agonisingly wide.
The Al Ain players gathered in a huddle on the pitch at the end of the half rather than head straight down the tunnel, perhaps as a sign of solidarity.
Their lead became iron-clad just after the hour when the much maligned Asprilla put them 2-0 ahead, skipper Abdulrahman again at the heart of it. He sent Asprilla streaking away and he kept his composure to calmly slot under Mazaheri.
That provided the Boss with a big cushion, leaving the hosts needing three goals to progress. They saw out the rest of the game without concern and will now aim to repeat their 2014 campaign when they made the final four.
