RESULT: Tractor Sazi 3 (Salehi 30′, Kazemeyan 60′, Zadeh 81) Al Jazira 1 (Mabkhout 79′)
Luis Milla got his reign as Al Jazira coach off to a losing start in Tebriz as Tractor Sazi proved too strong for the side from the Emirates.
Goals either side of half-time from Mehdi Seyed-Salehi and Javad Kazemian put the home side in control before substitute Ali Mabkhout gave Jazira a glimmer of hope with 12 minutes left.
It would last for less than two minutes, though, as Masoud Ebrahimzadeh made sure the 72,000 fans at the Yadegar-e-Emam Stadium were able to celebrate their side’s maiden AFC Champions League win.
Not even a late red card for forward Mohammad Ebrahimi could dampen their spirits.
Milla, meanwhile, will have a better idea of the task that faces him in Abu Dhabi with his new side outplayed for long periods.
Jazira had won on their last visit to Iran – a 2-1 defeat of Esteghlal in last season’s group stage – but found it hard to assert themselves in the first 45 minutes in Tebriz as Tractor settled quickly into life on Asian football’s top table.
Iran international Seyed-Salehi sent a header wide from Javad Kazemian’s cross before Ali Khaseif required two attempts to field Ghasem Dehnavi’s fiercely struck free kick.
Jazira’s best hope of a goal, meanwhile, appeared to be from set plays, with Matias Delgado causing panic in the Tractor defence with a couple of whipped deliveries from the left.
Khaseif remained the busier of the two goalkeepers, though, and was happy to see Ebrahimi’s drive fly wide of his left-hand upright after it took a wicked deflection. Moments later he was called into action again, making himself big as he raced out to the feet of Mehdi Karimian and snuffed out the potential danger.
The visitors stretched their hosts for the first time in the 34th minute as Tractor keeper Mehi Sabeti saved Fernandinho’s rasping drive well after a smart give and go with compatriot Ricardo Oliveira.
But it proved a false dawn as they fell behind less than two minutes later. Winger Ebrahimi’s path to the byline was blocked by Juma Abdulla, but while the Jazira rearguard paused left-back Mostafa Ekrami whipped in a cross. Abdulla Mousa was caught flat-footed at the far post, allowing Seyed-Salehi to nip in front of him and head home his side’s first goal at this level.
It was nothing less than Tractor deserved but they were thankful to goalkeeper Mehdi Sabeti for keeping the scoreline at 1-0 at the break after he saved smartly from Oliveira.
Seyed-Salehi missed a golden opportunity to double his and Tractor’s tally 10 minutes into the second half as he dragged a tame effort wide from 17 yards having beaten the offside trap.
However, within four minutes it was 2-0. Mehdi Karimian’s influence on the match grew as the play unfolded and it was the midfielder who played a smart ball to Kazemian in the box. The striker’s first touch took him away from Shin Hyung-min, his second measured an angled shot across Khaseif and into the bottom corner.
Jazira now had a mountain to climb and Milla reacted by throwing on Ali Mabkhout and Sultan Bargash. The former hauled his side back in the game as he poked home, following a lovely first-time through ball from Oliveira.
Tractor merely stepped on the accelerator, though, and within two minutes had restored their two-goal lead as Ebrahimzadeh, himself a substitute, headed home a Karimian centre with Jazira’s backline exposed.
Minutes later Ebrahimi’s evening was ended as he was given the luxury of an early shower following a second booking.
Jazira built their AFC campaign on resilience last year, it looks like they might need a bit more than that this time around.
Meanwhile, there was also defeat for the other UAE side on AFC Champions League duty on Tuesday night as in-form Al Shabab crashed to a 3-1 defeat to Qatari side Lekhwiya.
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