Esteghlal hits late goal to defeat Al Rayyan in ACL [VIDEO]

TEHRAN TIMES – DOHA, Iran’s Esteghlal defeated Al Rayyan of Qatar 1-0 thanks to a late goal by Goran Jerkovic in the 2012 Asian Champions League (ACL) group stage on Tuesday.

The first half came to an end after a lackluster performance by both sides in the Group A match at Doha’s Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium.

Al Rayyan played better in the second half, but their strikers failed to take advantage of their chances.

Jerkovic, who came off the bench in the second half, scored the goal in the dying moments of the match, two minutes into stoppage time.

Iran’s Sepahan will play Al Nasr of the United Arab Emirates in Group C at Isfahan’s Naghsh-e Jahan Stadium on Wednesday.

And Persepolis will face Saudi Arabian giants Al Hilal at King Fahd International Stadium in Group D on Wednesday.

Tuesday, which was the opening night of the group stage of the tournament, featured eight matches across groups A, B, E, and F. Action in groups C, D, G, and H will start Wednesday.

The top two teams in each of the eight groups advance to a knockout round of 16 on May 29 and 30.