Persepolis, Al Gharafa Share Spoil, Estghlal Lose to Al-Hilal in AFC Champions League Elite

Date: 05 November 2024 - 22:12

News ID: ۱۳۳۲۴۱

TEHRAN - Iran’s Persepolis were forced to share the spoils in a 1-1 draw with Qatar’s Al Gharafa in the fourth round (West Zone) of AFC Champions League Elite at the Al Maktoum Stadium in Dubai.
While Persepolis’ Farshad Faraji scored for the Iranian side in the 53rd minute, substitute Ahmed Al Ganehi drew parity for Al Gharafa in the 56th minute.
The result moved Al Gharafa on to 4 points from their first four games while Persepolis continue to look for their first win with 2 points to their credit at the group’s halfway stage.
The visitors squandered a series of opportunities in the late minutes to take all three points.
And in Riyadh, Al-Hilal’s Aleksandar Mitrovic got a hat-trick as they continued their perfect start to the Asian Champions League Elite on Monday with a 3-0 win over Iran’s Esteghlal, although the Saudi side’s evening was soured by a late injury to Neymar.
Al-Ahli’s Roberto Firmino and Riyad Mahrez ensured it was a positive evening for Saudi Pro League sides in the recently revamped continental competition with both netting twice in a 5-1 thrashing of Iraq’s Al-Shorta in Jeddah.
Wasl of the United Arab Emirates also shared a 1-1 draw with Qatari outfit Al-Sadd.
Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli have now won all four of their games in the league phase of the competition so far and opened up a four-point gap over third-placed Al-Sadd with fellow Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr a further point back in fourth.
The first eight finishers in the 12-team league phase in both west and east Asia will advance to the knockout rounds, which will be played in March.
Mitrovic put Al-Hilal ahead at Riyadh’s Kingdom Arena with a 15th minute tap-in and doubled the advantage with another straightforward finish in the 33rd minute.
The former Fulham striker completed his hat-trick with a 74th minute header into the bottom corner from Joao Cancelo’s cross from the right.
The evening ended on a sour note for Al-Hilal when Neymar, who returned two weeks ago from a year out due to a ruptured cruciate ligament, was replaced 29 minutes after his introduction from the bench due to injury.