Tehran: Sepahan of Iran defeated al-Nasr of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) 3-0 at the AFC Champions League group stage.
Hosts Sepahan beat al-Nasr in its Group C opener of the tourney at Fouladshahr Stadium in Isfahan Wednesday, reports Xinhua.
Albanian striker Xhevahir Sukaj scored a brace for his team in the 22nd and the 80th minute and midfielder Omid Ebrahimi gave Sepahan a goal four minutes before the final whistle.
After the match, al-Nasr Italian coach Walter Zenga said Sepahan deserved the victory. Al-Nasr also had chances in the first half but his team did not play as he expected, said Zenga.
Sepahan coach Zelatko Kranjar pointed out that they "were dominant from the very beginning" and said his players lost other chances to add to their goals.
In other matches in the group, Saudi Arabian al-Ahli blanked al-Gharafa of Qatar 2-0.
In Group D, Iranian club Esteqlal drew with Qatari al-Rayyan 3-3 and Emirati club al-Ain beat al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia 3-1.
IANS
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.