AFC Champions League Elite:
Persepolis looking to build on momentum; Esteghlal eager to end blues
Persian Gulf Pro League clubs Persepolis and Esteghlal will be back in AFC Champions League Elite action today, with the two Tehran archrivals on opposite ends of the spectrum as they head into their second continental outing.
Fresh from Wednesday’s 1-0 triumph over Esteghlal in the league, Persepolis will be looking to take its domestic form into the home game against Uzbekistan’s Pakhtakor, while Esteghlal is eager to bounce back from the derby disappointment when playing away to Qatar Stars League champion Al Sadd in Doha.
Reds on the rise
The Reds faithful had major doubts about Juan Carlos Garrido being the right fit when the relatively unknown Spaniard took over at Persepolis in the summer, after the club had just won a seventh top-flight title in eight years but had to part ways with several key players in the squad, including the Iranian international keeper Alireza Beiranvand and wizard winger Mahdi Torabi.
Despite a slow start to the season, Garrido has managed to prove his doubters wrong as his team is the only unbeaten side in the Iranian league after six rounds of matches and could go top of the table should it win its game in hand at Golgohar.
Persepolis might have felt unlucky to kickstart the revamped Asian Champions League with a 1-0 loss to Al Ahli Saudi, in a game that Garrido’s men conceded an early goal but dominated against the star-studded host for the best part of the game, squandering numerous chances for an equalizer.
A repeat of the performance in Jeddah could be enough for Garrido’s team to collect all points against the Uzbek guest, which also finished its ACL Elite opener empty-handed, suffering a 1-0 defeat against the UAE’s Al Wasl in Tashkent.
Star winger Oston Urunov, who missed the derby victory with an injury, was back in training on Sunday and is likely to start today’s game.
Writing on the wall for Nekounam
Esteghlal will step onto the pitch at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium on the back of weeks of chaos and uncertainty swirling around the Blues bench.
Engaged in a never-ending run-in with the club hierarchy, head coach Javad Nekounam handed in his resignation in the aftermath of the derby defeat, only to see his decision rejected with the Al Sadd game looming.
It still seems to be a matter of time before Nekounam leaves the job, with a significant portion of the supporters having turned against him for his defensive approach after they were denied a first win against their city rivals since 2018.
Al Sadd has suffered three defeats in six QSL games this season and is six points adrift of Al Duhail on top of the table, though Akram Afif and his teammates are flying high after a 4-2 beating of Al Gharafa on Thursday and will chase a first win in the new Asian competition following the 1-1 draw at Al Ain.
Esteghlal, meanwhile, has been without a win in the domestic league since the opening-day victory at Shams Azar, but Nekounam will be keen to build on the ACL 3-0 triumph over Al Gharafa in a last-ditch effort to turn the tables and save his career with the Blues.