AFC Champions League Elite:
Tractor’s Hosseinzadeh pleased with strong league-stage finish
Tractor FC striker Amirhossein Hosseinzadeh praised his side’s “outstanding performance” after a 2-0 away victory over Al Gharafa on Tuesday, as the Persian Gulf Pro League champion wrapped up the league stage of the AFC Champions League Elite on a high note.
The result marked Tractor’s fifth win in eight matches, lifting the Iranian side to third place in the West Zone’s 12-team standings with 17 points – five behind leaders Al Hilal and level with Al Ahli Saudi.
Mahdi Hashemnejad broke the deadlock on the hour at Thani bin Jassim Stadium, sweeping home the rebound after goalkeeper Khalifa Ababacar parried Regi Lushkja’s initial effort.
Hosseinzadeh sealed the victory with 10 minutes remaining, latching onto a cutback from Masoud Zaerkazemayn. The forward skipped past a challenge from Aron Gunnarsson before firing into the top corner to put the result beyond doubt.
“First of all, I have to say thanks to Dragan Skocic, our previous head coach who brought really bright days to the club and helped us reach our dreams,” Hosseinzadeh said of the Croatian manager, who parted ways with the club on the eve of the match.
“We played a very good game and our performance was outstanding. We showed the best version of ourselves and I’m also very happy with my goal.
“We qualified with the best result possible, which is third, and now we turn our attention back to domestic matches before switching focus to the knockout stage.”
The third-place finish sets up a round-of-16 clash with the United Arab Emirates’ Shabab Al Ahli – a repeat of the sides’ opening league-phase encounter, which ended in a 1-1 draw in Dubai last October.
Shabab Al Ahli suffered a 4-3 defeat to Al Ahli Saudi in a seven-goal thriller in Jeddah on Monday but still secured sixth place with 11 points to advance to the knockout rounds.
The Emirati side will host the first leg of the tie on March 2-3, with the return fixture scheduled for the following week.
Elsewhere in the last 16, Qatar’s Al Sadd will take on Saudi heavyweights Al Hilal, with the first leg in Doha, while Al Duhail face Al Ahli Saudi in another Qatar–Saudi Arabia matchup. The UAE’s Al Wahda will meet Saudi Pro League champion Al Ittihad.