They may be experiencing a campaign of domestic dominance, but Al Ain were brought crashing back down to Earth in Tehran this evening after finding themselves on the wrong end of a 2-0 result against Esteghlal.
In a very evenly-matched contest, the Pro League leaders could feel slightly hard done-by as they make their way back to the UAE. But it’s goals that win football matches and their Iranian counterparts proved to be more clinical when it mattered most.
Second-half goals from former Aston Villa defender J’Lloyd Samuel and Farhad Majidi tipped the balance of a closely-fought encounter in favour of the hosts. Al Ain have now won one and lost one from their opening two AFC Champions League fixtures.
The first-half was a fast-paced and expansive affair with both sides sharing spells of domination. Al Ain were put on the back-foot during the opening 15 minutes without being placed under any undue pressure from Esteghlal. It was then the turn of the UAE champions to take the game to Esteghlal, but they too were guilty of failing to turn possession and territory into goals.
Esteghlal received a blow after 36 minutes when star midfielder Camacho limped off, but substitute Majidi ultimately proved to be a more than adequate replacement.
The two sides went into the half-time break with the game evenly-poised, and it was Al Ain who came out for the second period looking to take command of the tie. Forward Alex Brosque, who was recently called up to the Australia squad, lashed in a shot soon into the proceedings but saw his effort graze the top netting.
While it seemed Al Ain would be the side more likely to break the deadlock, the dynamic of the contest completely altered following Samuel’s opener midway through the half.
Esteghlal midfielder Mojtaba Jabari received the ball from a throw-in wide on the right touch-line and, spotting the drifting run of Samuel from the left, whipped a pin-point cross into the middle of the Al Ain area. The Trinidad & Tobago international met the cross superbly and aimed a bullet header into the top right corner. Cue wild celebrations from the fans inside the Azadi Stadium.
Al Ain tried to force their way back into the game, but the goal seemed to settle the home side, who began to take control, and they didn’t have to wait long to double their lead. Nine minutes after the opener, Majidi ran onto a perfectly-weighted through-ball before taking one touch and firing low under Dawoud Sulaiman. The Al Ain stopper perhaps should have done better with the effort, but it was a well-taken goal by the Iranian midfielder.
Al Ain poured men forward in an attempt to get themselves back into the game but with Esteghlal now content to defend their 2-0 lead, the hosts threw 10 men behind the ball to stifle the frustrated visitors.
Yousef Ahmed had a gilt-edged chance to reduce the arrears in injury-time when he was one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but skewed his effort wide of the far post.
TALKING POINTS
Return of the Sam
J’Lloyd Samuel was the very symbol of an English football stalwart; spending 13 years of his career in England, the majority of which in the Premier League. The versatile full-back may never have been a world-beater but was as honest a defender as they come.
When he swapped Bolton for Tehran in 2011 it may have come as a shock to many, but it was great to see him in action and it seems he has found a new lease of life. Still with bags of energy at the age of 31, Samuel looks to be reveling in his role as a roaming full-back/midfielder and it’s clear he is held in high regard among the Esteghlal faithful.
Lapses in concentration prove costly
Al Ain are rarely tested defensively quite the way they were this evening given their midfield and attacking dominance domestically, but the organisation of the back-line and two protecting midfielders in front of them was a joy to behold for much of the game. They defended in numbers and threw their bodies in the way of every goal threat.
What a shame then that two lapses in concentration cost The Boss a well-earned point. Samuel should have been picked up before his header nestled into the top corner, while Majidi should have been dealt with when he made his killer run. Hopefully Al Ain will learn from this defeat and cut out such expensive mistakes.
MAN OF THE MATCH – J’Lloyd Samuel (Esteghlal)
The full-back took his goal superbly and it was his fine finish that turned the game in favour of Esteghlal. Aside from the goal, Samuel did a fine job of keeping Kembo Jires-Ekoko quiet in the first-half and Alex Brosque frustrated in the second. His ability to read the game meant he could drift into a holding midfield role with ease when his team attacked, while using his pace to often provide an outlet on the flank. A top display from the Trinidadian.
KEY CONCLUSION
Esetghlal proved Al Ain aren’t unflappable. Having swept all before them domestically and kicked-off their AFC campaign with a resounding win, this defeat shows Al Ain still have work to do if they want to be crowned continental champions. The Boss did look impressive going forward but must find a way to support Omar Abdulrahman and to create more supply for Asamoah Gyan, who was mostly left chasing shadows this evening.
LINE-UPS AND RATINGS
Esteghlal (4-1-2-1-2): Rahmati (6); Samuel(8), Sadeghi (6), Montazeri (7), Hamoodi (6); Nekounam (7); Jabari (7), Beikzadeh; Camacho (5); Hatami (5), Akbarpour (6)
Subs: Omranzadeh, Majidi (on for Camacho 36’), Borhani (on for Hatami 46’), Ashjari, Mohammadrezayi, Hosseini, Mousavi
Al Ain (4-2-3-1): Dawoud (5); Mohanad (6), Ismaeel (6), Ahmad (7), Fares (6); Yaqoub (7), Radoi (6); Brosque (6), Abdulrahman (7), Jires-Ekoko (5); Gyan (5)
Subs: Mohamed, K. Abdulrahman, M Abdulrahman (on for Yaqoub 75’), Fawzi, Abdulla, Yousef (on for Mohanad 87’), Mahmoud
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