BEIJING, Sept. 22 (Xinhuanet) -- Al Ittihad, the 2004 AFC Champions League winner, is on course to meet Al Ain, the 2003 winner, in the final of Asia's premier club competition after bothreached the semi-finals on Wednesday night, but in contrasting fashion.

    Al Ain, coached by Milan Macala, the one-time Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Oman coach, booked its place in the last four thanks totwo goals in two minutes from Helal Saeed.

    The midfielder's efforts came when the UAE giant was two goals down and seemingly heading out of the competition after Arash Borhani had scored either side of half-time to put the 2004 Iran Pro League champion on course for a place in the last four.

    The game ended 3-3, which, after last week's 1-1 draw in the UAE, left the teams locked at 4-4 on aggregate but it is Al Ain who advances on the away goals rule.

    "This was the worst loss in my football career," said Pas coachMustafa Denizili after the game.

    "I have coached many teams in my career and I have seen many teams win or be eliminated, but tonight was so painful.

    "We dominated the game but some individual mistakes destroyed our chance, just like in the first leg in Al Ain," he added.

    Macala was o, understandably, was a happier man, telling reporters: "We are among the best four Asian clubs.

    "We used our opportunities very well. Our performance was not excellent but we have achieved our aim. We qualified and that is the main point."

    Next up for Al Ain is Shenzhen Jianlibao, the Chinese side who beat Saudi Arabia's Al Ahli 4-2 on aggregate after the game had ended 2-1 after normal time, and 3-1 after extra-time.

    Having been outplayed for much of last week's first leg in Jeddah, which ended 1-1, the financially-stricken Jianlibao was widely believed to surrender in Wednesday's game.

    Guo Ruilong's side beat the odds, however, as striker Hi Yi scored in the 15th and 98th minute to send the team into an unlikely place in the last four.

    If Al Ittihad is to successfully defend the crown it won last year when beating Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma 6-3 on aggregate, it will have to get past Busan I'Park, also from South Korea.

    Busan had the easiest of passages into the last four, beating Al Sadd 2-1 in the second leg to go with its 3-0 win in last week's first leg.

    Ian Porterfield's side has now scored 30 goals in eight AFC Champions League games and has yet to lose a game and conceded itsfirst goal in the competition against Bora Milutinovic's side whennew signing Emerson got on the score sheet in added time of the second half.

    "At the beginning of this year, all I wanted from my boys was an AFC Champions League quarter-final berth," said Porterfield.

    "Now we are in the semi-finals, I am mighty happy and satisfiedat the manner in which we have gone about our plans in the Champions League matches."

    Busan's defence will be tested in front of the free-scoring Saudis, who showed Shandong Luneng no mercy in Jeddah on Wednesday.

    The 2004 China FA Cup winner took the lead in the the 16th minute when Saudi national team keeper was deceived by Hi Xiaopeng' s speculative long-range effort.

    The visitors' lead lasted just three minutes before Osama Al Harbi equalized with a header from close range.

    Tcheco, from Brazil, added the second before the break, but it was in the second half that the goals reigned in: five from the home side and one from the visitors, who ended the game two men short.

    The first legs of the semi-finals will take place on September 28, with the second legs two weeks later, on October 12. Enditem