Persepolis vs. Al Wahda; An exciting ACL encounter

Tasnim – TEHRAN, An exciting encounter is expected at Azadi Stadium on Monday as Persepolis of Iran will host the UAE’s Al Wahda in Group D of the AFC Champions League.

With the pair in the hunt for the second qualification spot, both would be ousted should Al Rayyan of Qatar defeat Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia, the-afc wrote.

Early pacesetter Persepolis has suffered a dip in form of late, picking up just two points from a possible nine, and must win to have any chance of progression. The Iranian champion welcome back captain Jalal Hosseini and Soroush Rafiei from suspension for the crunch tie.

Amazingly, after one draw and three defeats from its opening four games, Al Wahda’s resounding 5-1 win over Al Rayyan two weeks ago leaves the Emirati side with a chance of advancing.

Victory coupled with an Al Rayyan defeat to Al Hilal would secure an unlikely berth in the Round of 16, and Mohammad Abdulbasit returns from suspension to help the team in the quest.

Persepolis’s domestic form has tailed off since wrapping up the Iranian Pro League in mid-April, picking up just one point from six in its previous two games, the same tally Al Wahda has managed since its last continental appearance.