The head coach of Esteghlal, Sohrab Bakhtiarizadeh, highly praised the team's performance in the second half after Jasir Asani scored in added time, securing a 1-0 victory for Esteghlal over Al-Shamal SC in the AFC Champions League Elite 2026/27 on Tuesday.
This victory allowed Esteghlal to recover from last week's defeat against Shabab Al Ahli, while Al-Shamal failed to continue its momentum after its win in the third round against Al-Hilal SC.
Bakhtiarizadeh stated: 'I am glad that we managed to finish this game with a victory. We played excellent football in the second half, and I am proud of my players because they did not spare any effort to please the fans.'
The coach noted that Esteghlal took control of the game after an even first half, and he was satisfied with the opportunities his squad created before Asani scored the decisive goal.
He added: 'We watched a tense game in the first half, but in the second half we felt the rhythm of the game and were the best team on the field. We must be able to create chances against any opponent while simultaneously preventing the opponent from getting chances. Not scoring goals is also part of football.'
The victory meant that the Iranian team managed to bounce back effectively after the loss to Shabab Al Ahli last week, while for Qatar's Al-Shamal, it was a disappointment as they entered this match confidently after their triumph over Al-Hilal SC in the third round.
'Al-Shamal' made only one change to the starting lineup, which stunned Al-Hilal SC with a 3-1 score in the third round, whereas Esteghlal made two changes after their 2-0 defeat to Shabab Al Ahli.


