Persepolis Back in Contention: Bashar Resan
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Persepolis midfielder Bashar Resan insists the Iranian side is now firmly back in the qualification race for AFC Champions League knockout round after Tuesday’s 2-0 Group D victory over Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli.
The Tehran-based football team went into the match having picked up just one point from two games, but an acrobatic first-half effort from Shoja Khalilzadeh opened the scoring before Ali Alipour’s close-range finish shortly after the restart secured the 2-0 victory.
“These were three important points that returned us to the race for qualification. It is a very difficult group. Pakhtakor has five points, Al Sadd has four and Al Ahli has three. The group has become tougher, so these three points are very important for us,” said Resan.
“As you know there's a lot of travel involved being an Iranian team; we are always under pressure but thankfully all our players, both the starting 11 and the substitutes, are of a high caliber,” added the Iraqi international.
“I want to congratulate the fans who came to support us here in Dubai; they were a source of strength for us. We are on top of the Iran league and have also reached the Hazfi Cup semi-final. The pressure is huge but all our players are in good condition, thanks to our coaching staff,” Resan stated.
