2018 Final – Ones To Watch: Persepolis

AFC – KUALA LUMPUR, Iran giants Persepolis are set to make history on Saturday when they take to the field in the first leg of their first-ever AFC Champions League final against Japan’s Kashima Antlers.

Ahead of the first of two meetings between the best clubs in the East and West of the continent, the-AFC.com kicks off our build-up to the final with a look at some of the key Persepolis players, who could be the ones to watch at Kashima Soccer Stadium on November 3.

Jalal Hosseini

Persepolis captain Jalal Hosseini has led by example throughout their AFC Champions League campaign, marshaling a defence that conceded just three times in the group stage to advance to the last 16.

The 36-year-old has since proven that his contribution is not limited to keeping things tight at the back.

The defender’s late strike in the second leg of the Round of 16 against Al Jazira earned Persepolis an away-goals triumph, before he added another crucial goal in the quarter-finals against Al Duhail to start a stunning comeback from 2-0 down to win 3-2.

Alireza Beiranvand

The 26-year-old goalkeeper rose to global fame last summer when he produced an incredible save to deny Cristiano Ronaldo from the spot in Iran’s 1-1 draw with Portugal in the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

But followers of Iranian and Asian football will have already been familiar with Beiranvand who was part of the Naft Tehran side that reached the 2015 AFC Champions League Round of 16.

He then went on to become a key cog for Persepolis as they reached the semi-finals for the first time in their history in 2017, and topped that milestone this year where his saves were crucial in taking the Tehran giants to their maiden final.

Ali Alipour

At 19, Ali Alipour became the youngest player to score in the Tehran derby against Esteghlal, before his big break arrived after Mehdi Taremi left the club.

The pacey striker stepped to the fore to help Persepolis claim back-to-back league titles and earn the Iranian Pro League’s top scorer award last season.

And, although he netted just once in the team’s run to the 2017 AFC Champions League semi-finals, Alipour has played a vital role this season, scoring five times to lead Persepolis in continental goals.

None of his strikes were more important than winning and converting a penalty just five minutes before the final whistle in the first leg of the semi-final against Al Sadd, with the Tehran side going on to edge the Qataris by a single goal in a 2-1 aggregate victory.