Doha, October 21 (QNA) – Al-Sadd defeated its Iranian guest, Persepolis, with a clean goal in the confrontation that brought them together at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium for the third round of the league stage in the AFC Champions League for elite football for the season 2024-2025.
Al Sadd owes the credit for achieving its second successive victory to Colombian player Mateus Uribe, who scored the winning goal and the only match in the 45th minute (45 + 2).
Al-Sadd, which maintained its record undefeated, raised its score after this victory to seven points, placing it in second place, 3 points behind Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia, which topped the Al-Gharb League standings with nine points, while Persepolis’ score stopped at one point, equal to Al-Ain of the Emirates.
Caution prevailed at the start of the match, and Iranian Perspolis tried to score an early goal when Lucas Joao Dosantos passed a ball from the left side towards Omid Ali Shah on the outskirts of the penalty area, who shot it towards the left corner, but Al Sadd goalkeeper Mishal Barshim saved the situation.
With Al Sadd controlling the midfield, Guillerme Torres almost put his team ahead when he shot a powerful ball from outside the penalty area, but goalkeeper Alexis Guendoz succeeded in deflecting it into a corner kick in the 17th minute.
The Iranian team wasted a great opportunity to score when it took advantage of a mistake in passing the ball from Al Sadd defenders on the outskirts of the area, and the ball reached Joao, who evaded the defender and shot a ground ball to the right of goalkeeper Barshim, who excelled in stopping it, before it returned directly in front of Masoud Riki, who also shot it. Towards the right corner, Torres brilliantly headed it away at the last minute for a corner in the 37th minute.
Before entering the break, Al Sadd took the lead after Akram Afif created a ball from a corner on the right side that was misjudged by the Perspolis defense, and Colombian Mateus Uribe followed it past goalkeeper Alexis Guendoz in the minute (45 + 2).
In the second half, Al-Sadd were determined to maintain their balance and play cautiously against the opponent, who continued to rely on his penetrations from deep and shooting from outside the area, but he faced extreme difficulties in deciphering Al-Sadd’s defence, and Akram Afif also had the opportunity to double the score, but Algerian goalkeeper Alexis Guendouz was able to defend his goal on more than one occasion.
Al-Sadd returned to threaten Persepolis’ goal through Paulo Otavio, but the opposing goalkeeper cleared his ball into a corner kick in the 64th minute, while Spaniard Felix Sanchez wanted to make some changes in the midfield, and included captain Hassan Al-Haydos, Hashim Ali, and Mohamed Waad in place of Rafa Mujica, Cristo Gonzalez, and Paulo Otavio.
Persepolis continued its pressure on its opponent’s goal and almost scored the equalizer when the ball reached substitute Farshad Ahmadzadeh inside the area, sending it towards the left corner, but goalkeeper Mishal Barshim excelled in stopping it in the 75th minute.
Al Sadd had a dangerous opportunity after Afif passed a through ball from the left side of the penalty area to the substitute, Hassan Al Haydos, who shot a powerful low ball towards the right corner, but the Perspolis goalkeeper succeeded in blocking it in the 85th minute.
The Iranian team intensified the pressure on its host’s goal and almost snatched the equalizer in stoppage time when Ali Shah shot a powerful ball toward the top of the far corner, but it bounced off the crossbar, failing to spare his team a second loss.
The fourth round of the Al-Gharb region competitions will be held on the fourth and fifth of next November, where on the fourth of November, Al-Wasl of the Emirates will meet with Al-Sadd, Al-Ahly of Saudi Arabia will meet Al-Shorta of Iraq, Persepolis of Iran will face Al-Gharafa, and Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia will face Esteghlal of Iran, while Pakhtakor of Uzbekistan will meet Al-Rayyan and Al-Nassr of Saudi Arabia. With Al Ain UAE on the 5th of the same month.
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