Esteghlal Favorite to Advance to ACL Next Stage: Coach Mansourian
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Esteghlal coach Alireza Mansourian says that they are the first chance to book a place in the AFC Champions League next stage.
Esteghlal football team started the campaign with a 2-1 defeat to the United Arab Emirates’ Al Ahli in its opening game of the tournament last week.
The Iranian team defeated Saudi Arabia’s Al Taawoun 3-0 in Group A at Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex Monday night.
“Thank God we won the match since we needed to win. We had analyzed Al Taawoun well and could bag three important points,” Mansourian said in the post-match news conference.
“We knew that Al Taawoun has good strikers but we also knew that they have conceded so many goals. To score three goals is not an easy job but we did it,” he added.
“Esteghlal is the favorite to advance to the next stage,” Mansourian concluded.
