Al Sadd aim to top group with win against Persepolis
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Loading...Gulf Times – TEHRAN, The famous Azadi Stadium in Tehran will be home to the last match in the career of Spanish football legend Xavi as Al Sadd face Persepolis in their final Group C game in the AFC Champions League today.
The former Barcelona and Spain midfielder brings to an end a four-year stay in Doha as he prepares to hang up his boots following the Persepolis clash, bringing down the curtain on a 22-year career which saw him win 32 titles, the last of which was the 2018-19 Qatar Stars League. Xavi played his last match on Qatari soil on Friday but Al Sadd ended up losers to Al Duhail in the Amir Cup final. A win against Persepolis therefore would help him end his career on a winning note.
In Tehran, a repeat of the 2018 AFC Champions League semi-final between Persepolis and Al Sadd comes under contrasting circumstances, with Al Sadd already qualifying and Persepolis eliminated from Group D.
Today, the two sides meet for the sixth time in just over a year. Persepolis and Al Sadd were pitted together in Group C last time around. A brace from Baghdad Bounedjah helped Al Sadd to a 3-1 win in Doha on Matchday Two.
A victory for Al Sadd, who have 10 points, will help them top the group. But a loss, combined with a win for Uzbekistan’s Pakhtakor (8), against Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli, will see the Uzbeks rise to the top.
