Persepolis oust Xavi’s Al-Sadd with late Champs League goal

Issa Alekasir scored with a brilliant late header to put Iran’s Persepolis into the quarter-finals of the Asian Champions League with a 1-0 victory over Qatar’s Al-Sadd.

Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr also advanced with a similar margin with Moroccan Abderrazak Hamdallah on target in the 75th minute against domestic rivals Al-Taawoun in the late match.

Al-Nassr are the second team from Saudi Arabia to reach the quarter-finals this year after Al-Ahli made the cut on Saturday.

Al-Hilal, the Saudi winners of the tournament last year, were sensationally thrown out of this year’s event on Thursday after a spate of coronavirus infections within the squad prevented them from fielding the required number of players during their group stage match against the UAE’s Shabab Al-Ahli.

On Sunday, the early match was decided when Alekasir leapt in front of the defence and powered the ball into the net in the 88th minute after Omid Alishah had executed a perfect corner at the new brand Education City Stadium, one of the venues for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Xavi’s Al-Sadd were carrying Qatar’s hopes into the knockout rounds after domestic league champions Al-Duhail were knocked out by Saudi Arabia’s Al-Taawoun in the group stage.

Xavi, repeatedly linked with crisis-hit Barcelona with whom he won four UEFA Champions League titles as a player, was appointed Al-Sadd coach last year on a two-year contract after playing 82 matches for the team over a four-year period.

In 2018, Al-Sadd reached the semi-finals of the tournament with Xavi as captain but were eliminated 2-1 by Persepolis who went on to finish runners-up to Japan’s Kashima Antlers.