Esteghlal Aiming to End Al Ahli’s Unbeaten Run
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s Esteghlal football team will have to achieve what no team has been able to do so far - take points off Al Ahli Saudi FC - when the sides meet in the AFC Champions League Elite 2024-25 on Monday at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah.
Saudi Arabia's Al Ahli confirmed its knockout stage spot with a fifth consecutive win on Matchday Five while Iran's Esteghlal is on four points and in danger of missing the cut.
Having opened its campaign with a 3-0 win over Qatar's Al Gharafa, Esteghlal has not won in its last four AFC Champions League Elite matches, its longest winless streak on the continent since 2013-2014.
The Iranian side has also failed to score in each of the four matches but heads into the tie with the better head-to-head record of having won four of its previous six meetings with Al Ahli, with the Saudi Arabian team only having one victory to their name.
Al Ahli, however, will be motivated to extend its winning run after having triumphed in five consecutive matches on the continental stage for the first time.
It is also on a 10-match unbeaten on the continental stage and will look to Riyad Mahrez to provide inspiration yet again, with the Algerian having contributed three goals and five assists so far.