With Persepolis captain Jalal Hosseini well into his late 30s, Khalilzadeh has emerged as Persepolis’ Mr. Reliable over the past year. His influence is not restricted to leading the backline, but also chipping in with important goals.
Sultan Al Ghannam (Al-Nassr), Lucas Lima (Al-Ahli Saudi FC) and Egor Krimets (Pakhtakor) are the other three defenders to watch.
The quarter-finals draw, conducted in Doha on Monday, produced two tasty encounters with Group B winner Pakhtakor facing Group C winner Persepolis FC, while the other game features a clash of fellow Saudi heavyweights Al-Nassr and Al-Ahli Saudi FC.