AFC Champions League Round of 16: Persepolis vs. Al Hilal – Preview

AFC – TEHRAN, Persepolis coach Branko Ivankovic has called on the club’s fans to turn out in force at the Azadi Stadium on Tuesday as they prepare to take on Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal in the first leg of the Round of 16 clash in the 2015 AFC Champions League.

The Iranians host the first leg meeting between the two clubs after finishing as runners-up in Group A behind Qatar’s Lekhwiya and former Iran boss Ivankovic (pictured) knows the backing of Persepolis’ supporters could be the difference between the teams in the opening leg.

“Tomorrow we have the most difficult match in the AFC Champions League because we have to face a very strong team,” said the Croatian coach. “Al Hilal are a very good team; although they haven’t won the Saudi league they had a superb performance in the AFC Champions League.

“They were so unlucky last season to finish runners up in the AFC Champions League, losing to Western Sydney Wanderers in the final. This season, they also have very good players who come from the highest level in terms of professionalism and from a technical point of view.

“I would like to ask our fans to come to the stadium to support us like the previous games against Al Nassr and Bunyodkor. This is the most important game of the season for Persepolis.”

A crowd in the region of 100,000 turned out for the win over Bunyodkor and a similar attendance is expected on Tuesday.

Persepolis go into the game off the back of a morale-boosting 1-0 win over cross-Tehran rivals Esteghlal at the Azadi Stadium on Friday, which brought to an end a disappointing domestic season for the club.

At the end of a campaign of turmoil that saw Ivankovic appointed just weeks before its conclusion, Persepolis finished in eighth place in the table, well adrift of champions Sepahan.

They meet an Al Hilal side that have yet to hit the same heights as last year, when they reached the final of the AFC Champions League before losing to Western Sydney Wanderers.

“You can’t predict results in football,” said Ivankovic. “Tomorrow is the first leg of this Round of 16 clash and I want my players to win the game at home.

“We will go out there to seize the points, but at the same time we will be very careful to not concede a goal.”

Persepolis will be without Brazilian midfielder Gabriel, who is ruled out due to injury, while defender Mohammad Reza Khanzadeh has been suspended by the Iran Football Federation for nine months following an incident with a spectator after the loss to Lekhwiya on Matchday Five.