AFC Champions League Two:
Tractor looking to build on domestic form, home support against Al Taawoun
Persian Gulf Pro League club Tractor will be looking to take its domestic momentum into the continental campaign, when hosting Saudi side Al Taawoun in the first leg of their AFC Champions League Two quarterfinal in Tabriz today.
Tractor will step into the contest on the back of a goalless stalemate against Sepahan, though it was enough to keep Dragan Skocic’s side one point clear of the Isfahan-based outfit on top of the Iranian league table.
Al Taawoun, meanwhile, defeated Al Fateh 2-1 at home last time out but is stuck in mid-table in the Saudi top flight. Chasing a maiden Asian silverware, Tractor will expect a jam-packed crowd at the Yadegar-e Imam Stadium to push their side the extra mile as they seek a healthy advantage ahead of next week’s return leg in Buraidah’s Wolves Park.
Amirhossein Hosseinzadeh will be the player to watch in Tractor colors, having scored a remarkable eight goals in six outings to sit atop the leading marksmen’s chart of the competition alongside fellow-Iranian Sardar Azmoun, who plays for Emirati club Shabab Al Ahli.
Croatian Skocic, however, will hope his backline puts in a more solid performance after Tractor had to hold off a late fightback from Bahrain’s Al Khaldiya in a 3-3 draw on home soil in the previous round second leg to advance 5-4 on aggregate.
Al Taawoun had to work even harder to secure a quarterfinal spot, as its last-16 tie against Al Wakhrah SC of Qatar ended 4-4 on aggregate, before the Saudi club came out victorious 4-3 in the shootout.
Al Taawoun will draw confidence from their unbeaten away record in the competition this season, having won three and drawn once.