AFC Champions League: Al Duhail outdone at home by lively Persepolis
(Sudesh Baniya at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium; Photos: Renjith Raju)
Doha: The loudest of chants came from behind the goal at the Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium on Monday evening. Persepolis fans were high-spirited even before Omid Alishah scored the eventual winner and rose to a crescendo after the final whistle went off.
Persepolis’ on-field display mirrored the pulsating chants that waved through their supporters. Pulsating in their breaks, confident in front of the box, and full of intensity when it came to winning the ball back.
Although the visitors had to wait a little longer than an hour to secure the winner – one that always seemed to come – the writing was always on the wall. The Persian Gulf Pro League leaders hit the crossbar in the 24th minute at the other end of their arc of spectators.
The Iranian side dominated from the start yet had to wait until the beginning of the second half for things to click in the final third. When Alishah finally managed to get the ball through Salah Zakaria, who looked inspired on the night, it was another one of the Iranian side’s attacks that looked potent and capable of yielding more than just the appreciation of their supporters.
The home side, fresh off a dominant win over Al Markhiya over the weekend with an inspiring Philippe Coutinho debut, looked at their premium signing for inspiration, yet looked blunt when it came to converting those limited opportunities.
The first chance of the game fell to them, courtesy of Moon-hwan Kim running his lungs off – a sequence that would continue throughout the game for nothing in return.
Bits of flair in Duhail’s attack came either through Kim’s wide runs, or flashes of link-up between Coutinho and Assim Madibo. On a night Karim Boudiaf struggled to maintain the rhythm, Madibo was limited to covering the spaces in the midfield, leaving the Brazilian alone to do the creative work. That, obviously did not pay off for Hernan Crespo’s side.
A comfortable grab by Alireza Beiranvand in the dying minutes of the game was the ultimate nail in Al Duhail’s hopes of a perfect game at the continental stage.
Following the 3-1 drubbing of Al Sadd away at Karshi earlier in the night, Qatari clubs will now have to fight an uphill battle to qualify for the next round. Duhail’s loss on the night will only add woes before their Riyadh expedition in three weeks to lock horns against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr.
