MD1 - Group D: Sepahan Aims to Register First Win against Al Ain
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Iranian football club Sepahan has not defeated Al Ain so far in the AFC Champions League and is going to register its first victory over the Emirati club.
AFC Champions League perennial contester Sepahan is back for the 12th time since making its debut in the 2003-04 edition. Its runner-up finish in 2007 had only been matched by Persepolis in 2018 as the best result for an Iranian side in the competition since its rebranding in 2002-03.
Amir Ghalenoei’s men qualified as runner-up of the 2018-19 Iranian Pro League and strengthened its ranks in January with the addition of Omani international striker Muhsen Al Ghassani. It travels to Al Ain at a time when it has only lost one of its last five league games and find itself second behind Persepolis in the domestic league.
Two regulars of the competition, Al Ain and Sepahan have met six times, with the Emiratis emerging winner on three occasions and the Iranians failing to register any triumphs. Can Tuesday be the start of changing that record for Sepahan or will Al Ain assert their dominance?
Inaugural AFC Champions League winner Al Ain will welcome Iran’s Sepahan to the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium on the opening Group D matchday of the 2020 edition on Tuesday.
