Action during the match between Al Rayyan and Esteghlal at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium.
Doha, Qatar: Esteghlal secured the berth in the AFC Champions League (ACL) Elite Round of 16 with a 2-0 victory over Al Rayyan at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium yesterday.
Mohammad Reza Azadi struck in the 46th minute before Alireza Koushki’s solo effort in the 69th minute sealed a crucial win for the Iranian side, eliminating Persepolis FC from the tournament.
The defeat left Al Rayyan seventh with eight points in the 12-team West Group, where eight teams advanced to the knockout stage. Esteghlal claimed sixth place with nine points while Pakhtakor edged Persepolis and Al Gharafa on goal difference to snatch the eighth and final spot with seven points.
Al Rayyan now face a daunting two-leg Round of 16 clash against Al Ahli Saudi FC, who finished second in the group with 22 points – level with table-toppers Al Hilal but trailing on goal difference. Al Ahli had already defeated Al Rayyan in the league stage.
This was not the outcome coach Artur Jorge had envisioned as he was aiming for a fifth-place finish. Al Wasl retained that position with 11 points despite a 2-0 loss against Al Hilal in the other match yesterday.
“I’m disappointed with the loss and feel that securing qualification before the match left the players lacking motivation. Overall, I’m not satisfied with the team’s performance as we didn’t do enough to justify a positive result,” Jorge said.
“That said, we’re pleased to have qualified, finishing seventh among the 12 teams in the league stage. Al Ahli is a strong side with great capabilities but knockout matches are unpredictable. Anything is possible and we aim to be at our best in both legs to achieve the best possible results.”
Backed by home fans, Al Rayyan started strongly against Esteghlal dominating possession and creating chances through Trezeguet, Roger Guedes and David Garcia.
Esteghlal also had their share of attempts with Azadi, Didier Ndong and Masoud Juma unable to break the deadlock before half-time.
However, the visitors struck early in the second half with Azadi slotting home a close-range finish off a delicate Koushki chip.
Al Rayyan thought they had equalised in the 66th minute when Guedes found the net but a VAR review ruled him offside.
Koushki then sealed the win in style latching onto a long ball, weaving past a defender and firing a shot that deflected off another defender, wrong-footing goalkeeper Paulo Victor before he calmly finished into an open net.
Esteghlal will now face Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr – who finished third with 17 points – in the Round of 16 with matches scheduled for March 3 and 4 and return legs one week later.
Meanwhile, Al Sadd, who finished fourth with 12 points, will take on Al Wasl while Al Hilal will meet Pakhtakor FC.
AFC Champions League Elite (West)
Round of 16
Pakhtakor FC (UZB) vs Al Hilal SFC (KSA)
Al Rayyan SC (QAT) vs Al Ahli Saudi FC (KSA)
Esteghlal FC (IRN) vs Al Nassr Club (KSA)
Al Wasl FC (UAE) vs Al Sadd SC (QAT)
