Ebrahimzadeh: Rayyan made us work for win

AFC – DOHA, Zob Ahan coach Mansour Ebrahimzadeh felt the score-line did not reflect the true nature of his side’s victory after the Iranians saw off 10-man Al Rayyan 3-1 at Al Rayyan Stadium.

Last year’s runners-up took the lead when Mohamed Reza Khalatbari scored direct from a corner in the 11th minute.

Jaralla Al Marri quickly equalised but Igor Castro made it 2-1 in the 24th minute and, after Rayyan’s Itamar was sent off for a stamp on Esmaeil Farhadi just before the hour mark, Ghasem Hadadifar sealed Zob Ahan’s victory 19 minutes from the end.

Ebrahimzadeh, though, insisted his side were pushed all the way.

“We played a good match. There were a few silly mistakes from my players. We gave away the lead quickly but the second goal gave us the comfort that we were looking for,” he said.

“However, the third goal made things easier for us as we controlled the match after that.

“I don’t agree that this was an easy win. We had to fight for it. We came here to pick up three points and we got them.

“Every game is important as we target the knockout stages. We are moving in that direction.”

For Al Rayyan coach Paulo Autuori, the outcome of the contest came as no surprise given he was forced to field a young side.

“As I said before the match, we played a strong team,” he said.

“We made a good start, we need to recognise this, but I give my congratulations to the opponents.

“We are looking at the next match. There is no point in talking too much about this game. It is not a surprise for me. I need you to recognise that we have a young group. We are learning to take advantage of certain situations in the match.”

With just one point from their opening three Group D games, Autuori feels Al Rayyan’s chances of reaching the last 16 are now remote at best.

“I think it is difficult for us to qualify for the knockout stage,” he added.

“The best way to get experience is when you face strong teams. Our target is to win matches but we need to recognise that it was difficult against a tough side.

“My young team is not ready for such a big championship. I liked the way my players played despite lacking in experience.”

He also tipped Zob Ahan to replicate last season’s performance and go all the way to the final once again.

“I said this yesterday that this team (Zob Ahan) are the favourites to reach the final this year also. In my opinion, I think they can do it,” he said.

“They have players in good condition. Their team is very competitive. They enjoy their football. I like the way they play their football. We need to learn to play like them.”