AFC Champions League Elite:
Persepolis, Garrido desperate to end drought in Dubai
Persepolis will be chasing a first victory at the rebranded AFC Champions League Elite when taking on Qatari club Al Gharafa in Dubai’s Al Maktoum Stadium today.
It has been over a year since the Tehran Reds last walked away with a win at the top-tier Asian club competition – a 2-0 home triumph over Istiklol of Tajikistan in October 2023 – and another game without maximum points will put the Iranian champion’s campaign in serious jeopardy.
Stepping into the game on the back of 1-0 defeats at Al Ahli Saudi and Qatar’s Al Sadd, either side of a 1-1 home draw against Pakhtakor, Persepolis is 10th in the West Zone’s 12-team table, one point adrift of the last knockout spot with five rounds of matches to spare.
For all the domination and clear-cut chances that Persepolis had in the two away losses, Spanish head coach Juan Carlos Garrido was left ruing his side’s poor finishing and will be hoping the Reds frontline will step up and find their scoring boots in Dubai.
Garrido himself will have a personal streak to end, as the Spaniard has never won in nine Champions League outings, with the winless run stretching back to his time on Al Ain bench in 2019.
The good news for the Spanish coach is the return of prolific winger Oston Urunov, who missed four games with a hamstring injury but is available for selection today.
Iran international center-back Hossein Kan’anizadegan and Moroccan fullback Ayoub El Amloud are unlikely to feature despite flying to Dubai with the rest of the team.
Persepolis suffered a first domestic defeat of the campaign last time out, losing 1-0 at Esteghlal Khuzestan, while Al Gharafa is flying high after a 3-1 home win against Al Arabi in the Qatar Stars League on Thursday.
Al Gharafa, which also got off to losing start in the competition – a 3-0 defeat away to Reds’ archrival Esteghlal – sits seventh in the West Zone table with three points.
The Qatari side’s impressive 4-2 win against defending champion Al Ain was undone by the 2-1 defeat to Al Wasl on Matchday Three.
The records are against Al Gharafa as Portuguese Pedro Martins’s men have lost their last four away matches on the continental stage.
Mosimane’s
mammoth mission
In Riyadh, South African head coach Pitso Mosimane, who has endured a tough start to life with Esteghlal since taking over a fortnight ago, will be eager to end the Blues’ four-game losing streak in all competitions when they play away to a star-studded Al Hilal in Riyadh.
Today’s opponent, however, is the last team Mosimane would have wanted to face.
Looking to extend their perfect Asian run to four matches, The four-time champions have been in phenomenal form – unbeaten in 56 domestic games – though Friday’s 1-1 draw at Al Nassr ended their eight-game winning start to the Saudi Pro League season.
A Champions League classic saw Al Hilal defeat Al Ain 5-4 on the road two weeks ago, while Esteghlal fell to a 1-0 loss to Al Nassr in Dubai.
Beaten 2-0 at home by Tractor on Thursday, the Capital Blues are struggling in the 14th place of the Iranian 16-team table – just a single point clear of the relegation zone – but they are still very much in contention for a knockout spot in the continent, sitting sixth in the standings with three points.
Elsewhere today, Emirati club Al Wasl will host Al Sadd, with Al Ahli Saudi – also on nine points – welcoming Iraqi champion Al Shorta in Jeddah.
Pakhtakor and Al Rayyan will square off in Tashkent, and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr and Al Ain are tipped for a thrilling encounter in Riyadh on Tuesday.