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Persepolis   Godwin Mensha   AL JAZIRA   Ali Alipour   AFC Champions League 2018  

Al Jazira edge Persepolis in first-leg thriller

Foxsportsasia - Emirati outfit Al Jazira claimed a slender advantage in AFC Champions League Round of 16 on Monday after beating Iran’s Persepolis 3-2.

In a keenly-contested first leg at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, it was Persepolis who took the lead three minutes before the break when a terrific cross from the left by Vahid Amiri was met by Ali Alipour with a perfectly-guided glancing header into the far corner.

However, the hosts equalised seven minutes into the second half when halftime substitute Ahmed Al-Attas won possession from Shoja’ Khalilzadeh and immediately released Ali Mabkhout.

Despite still having plenty to do, Mabkhout kept his composure to create a yard of space for himself just inside the box before firing a low shot in at the near post.

Mabkhout then turned provider in the 77th minute as Jazira took the lead with an excellent through-pass to pick out the run of Romarinho, who took the ball in his stride at full pace and finished past the onrushing Alireza Beiranvand.

The game then took a controversial twist when the visitors were awarded a penalty when Mohammed Al-Attas was harshly penalised for handball, after team-mate Mohammed Al-Musalami clearing the ball into the former’s arm as he was picking himself off the ground.

Godwin Mensha’s initial effort was saved by Ali Khasif but the goalkeeper was adjudged to have come off his line before the whistle and a retake was ordered, allowing the Nigerian striker to convert at the second time of asking.

However, just when Persepolis looked like they would be taking a draw – and two valuable goals – back to Tehran, there was still time for one final twist.

In the sixth minute of injury-time, Mbark Boussoufa floated a freekick into the box and Beiranvand came off his line but hesitated at the vital moment, paving the way for Khalifa Mubarak to send a header past him to win it for Jazira.

AL JAZIRA: Ali Khasif, Khalifa Mubarak, Musallem Fayez, Mohammed Al-Musalami, Salem Rashid, Mbark Boussoufa, Mohammed Al-Attas, Mohamed Fawzi (Zaid Al-Ameri 87’), Romarinho, Yaqoub Al-Hosani (Ahmed Al-Attas 46’), Ali Mabkhout.

PERSEPOLIS: Alireza Beiranvand, Sadegh Moharrami, Shoja’ Khalilzadeh, Mohammad Ansari, Hossein Mahini, Farshad Ahmadzadeh, Kamal Kamyabinia (Shayan Mosleh 90’), Ahmad Nourollahi, Vahid Amiri, Ali Alipour (Godwin Mensha 70’), Siamak Nemati (Bashar Resan 76’).