AFC Champions League Elite:
Persepolis out to end winless run
Persian Gulf Pro League champion Persepolis will vie for a first victory in the new AFC Champions League Elite season when taking on Qatari giant Al Sadd in Doha today.
With just a point from their first two outings and on a run of five consecutive winless games on the continental stage, the Tehran Reds will hope to relive some of the fond memories of the previous meetings with their familiar foes when the final whistle blows at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium.
The two sides have squared off on seven occasions in the competition over the past six years, with Persepolis coming out on top in four – including a last-eight 1-0 win in their last meeting in 2020.
Qatari international star Akram Afif provided his teammates with three assists to help Al Sadd defeat Al Shahaniya 4-2 in the Qatar Stars League on Friday, while Persepolis has not been in action since claiming a 1-0 victory over Chadormalou in the Iranian top flight a fortnight ago.
Persepolis head coach Juan Carlos Garrido will be without Iran international center-back Hossein Kan’ani and Uzbek star winger Oston Urunov due to injury, though the Spaniard will be happy to welcome back instrumental skipper Omid A’alishah to the squad after recovering from a hamstring problem.
Meanwhile, Al Sadd fullback Pedro Miguel is set to be sidelined for three months after undergoing a surgery, with Algerian Youcef Atal also missing today’s game with injury.
Al Sadd is third in the 12-team table of West Zone with four points – courtesy of a 1-1 draw at Al Ain and a 2-0 win at home against Esteghlal – while a first-day 1-0 loss at Al Ahli Saudi and the 1-1 draw against Pakhtakor in Tehran have seen the Reds sit ninth and outside the knockout spots.
Fresh start for Blues
Persepolis archrival Esteghlal will be back in Champions League action on Tuesday, playing Saudi Pro League giant Al Nassr in the neutral venue of Rashid Stadium in Dubai.
Having lost three of their last four games across all competitions, the Tehran Blues could hardly have asked for a more formidable opponent than Cristiano Ronaldo and co., who step into the game on the back of a 2-1 win at Al Shabab – thanks to a Portuguese star’s 97th-minute penalty – in the Saudi Pro League on Friday and are yet to lose a game this season.
Esteghlal’s desperate search for a permanent head coach following Javad Nekounam’s departure last month came to an end with the signing of South African Pitso Mosimane on Friday night.
However, Mosimane, whose Abha side was thrashed by eight goals against Al Nassr in April before being relegated from the Saudi Pro League, will watch Tuesday’s game from the stands, with interim coach Sohrab Bakhtiarizadeh remaining in charge of the bench, the club announced.
Hammered by Zob Ahan (3-0) in the Iranian league on Friday, Esteghlal began its Asian campaign with a 3-0 win against Al Gharafa at home before falling to an away loss to Al Sadd and is fifth in the West standings with three points.
Al Nassr, meanwhile, defeated Al Rayyan 2-1 but was held to a 1-1 stalemate at Iraqi side Al Shorta in Baghdad to stand above Esteghlal in the table.