Persepolis Escapes Defeat in Oman

In the first leg of the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League, Iran's Persepolis and Saudi Arabia's Al-Ahli ended in a 2-2 draw. Persepolis was the host but due to the political tensions between the two countries, the match was held at Sultan Qaboos Stadium in Oman with around four thousand spectators present. Persepolis quickly found themselves behind when Omar Al-Soma, the Syrian striker of Al-Ahli, scored the first goal in the second minute following a poor clearance by goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand. The first half ended with Persepolis trailing. In the second half, despite Persepolis's attacks, Al-Ahli managed to score a second goal through De Souza. Just when it seemed Al-Ahli would secure a sweet victory, three consecutive substitutions by coach Branko Ivankovic changed the course of the game, allowing Persepolis to escape defeat in the last twenty minutes. Shoja Khalilzadeh scored with a header from a free-kick delivered by Iraqi Bashar Resan, reducing the deficit to one goal. Godwin Mensah then equalized with a precise low shot from outside the penalty area, surprising Al-Ahli's coach Sergey Rebrov. The Persepolis lineup included Alireza Beiranvand, Sadegh Moharrami, Shoja Khalilzadeh, Mohammad Ansari, Hossein Mahini, Mohsen Rabiei-Khah, Farshad Ahmadzadeh (Kamall Kamyabinia), Mohsen Muslim (Bashar Resan), Vahid Amiri, Ali Alipour, and Mehdi Taremi (Godwin Mensah). On a night when Taremi, Ahmadzadeh, and Muslim were not in good form, their motivated and energetic substitutes performed well, potentially securing their spots in the starting lineup. Bashar Resan played a crucial role in securing a point for Persepolis, appearing as a capable midfielder. He was effective in both the defensive and offensive play of his team and set up the first goal with his free-kick delivery. Given that Persepolis hosted the first leg, Al-Ahli can advance to the semi-finals with a goalless draw or a 1-1 draw in the return match, which will be held in Abu Dhabi. A repeat of the 2-2 draw will lead to extra time and penalties, but Ivankovic believes his team will advance with a victory in Abu Dhabi. In the press conference, the Persepolis coach stated: 'I am satisfied with the result. Everything is equal now. Al-Ahli is a big team, and their first goal was a big shock to us, but my players compensated for it.' Branko commented on the Al-Hilal and Al-Ain match, saying: 'I think Al-Hilal was the winner because they drew in Al-Ain's ground and can advance in Riyadh with their fans. I consider Al-Hilal a better team than Al-Ain of the UAE.' The final winner of the Persepolis and Al-Ahli match must overcome the winner of the Al-Hilal and Al-Ain game to reach the AFC Champions League final.