ACL Semis 2nd Leg: Persepolis Needs to Record Its Biggest Win Ever


ACL Semis 2nd Leg: Persepolis Needs to Record Its Biggest Win Ever

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Persepolis has lost 4-0 to Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia in the first leg of the 2017 AFC Champions League semi-final and it means the Iranian team needs to record its biggest win ever in the competition in order to advance to the final match.

Without their leading scorer Mehdi Taremi, Persepolis need the rest of their frontline to step forward and the striker’s direct replacement, Godwin Mensha, will hope to add to the two goals he scored against Al Ahli in the last round.

No other Persepolis player has scored more than a single goal in the competition, but the attack-minded trio of Mohsen Mosalman, Vahid Amiri and Ali Alipour are all capable of finding the back of the net and will need to do exactly that if the Iranian team are to have any chance of making the final.

Al Hilal remains the only unbeaten team in this year’s competition and, after their 3-0 victory over Al Ain in the second leg of the quarter-final, has now netted seven without reply in its past two games.

Syrian striker Khribin opened the scoring in Abu Dhabi, before a rare goal from Yasser Al Shahrani put Al Hilal two up at the interval. Otayf was then dismissed for a second bookable offence, but Khribin added a brace in what proved a thoroughly convincing win.

Khribin has been in fine form for both club and country of late and seven goals on the continent leaves him just two adrift of the tournament’s leading scorer, Hulk, but Al Hilal boast plenty of attacking options elsewhere, the-afc wrote.

Carlos Eduardo also sits on seven goals after the Brazilian registered a treble against Al Ain, while Nawaf Al Abed always poses a threat and Salem Al Dawsari was outstanding in the first leg in claiming two assists.

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