The Doused Fire of Persepolis on Chaharshanbe Suri

In the third week of the AFC Champions League, Iranian representatives faced setbacks against their Saudi rivals. Persepolis lost 3-0 to Al-Nassr, while Foolad settled for a goalless draw against Al-Hilal in Ahvaz. Persepolis, which had previously secured six points in two matches, watched the host team’s fireworks with a doused fire on the last Wednesday of the year. The Reds succumbed to a long-range shot from Adrian, a Polish player of the opponent, which opened the goal of Sosha Makani. This was the first goal conceded by Persepolis in this tournament. Persepolis had several opportunities in the first half but wasted them due to inaccuracy in the final shots. In the second half, a noticeable physical decline in the Persepolis players was evident. Hadi Noroozi's poor performance in the attack and ineffective substitutions also prevented the team from breaking the opponent's defense. Payam Sadeghian remained unfit, and his brief presence did not change the course of the match. Until the 87th minute, Stoyanov scored the second goal for Al-Nassr with a precise shot from the edge of the penalty area. Subsequently, the disorganized Persepolis conceded a third goal from Al-Raheb in a quick counterattack. Persepolis still holds six points at the top of Group A, but now Al-Nassr from Saudi Arabia and Lekhwiya from Qatar are new contenders for advancement, and with another slip, Persepolis may miss out on the next round. Mohammad Noori and Mohsen Bengar received yellow cards against Al-Nassr and are now suspended for the return match in Tehran. Hamid Derakhshan stated in the post-match press conference: 'I think it was not a good day for our goalkeeper. Conceding the second goal was like a cold shower for the team. We had three or four good chances in the first half that we did not use, and we conceded a goal due to surprise. Our boys lacked experience, but the foreign player of Al-Nassr pushed his team forward with his experience and professionalism.' In another match, Foolad Khuzestan faced Al-Hilal in Ghadir Stadium Ahvaz, which ended in a goalless draw. The results of the two matches can somewhat reflect the quality of Iranian football and the current state of football in Iran. Dragan Skocic stated after the match: 'I am never satisfied with a draw, and it is not in my coaching character to leave the field satisfied with this result, but considering the issues that occurred in the team, my players made a good effort on the field and fought, and I am satisfied with one point.'