Sassi Shines as Al-Gharafa Boosts Asian Champions League Hopes with Victory Over Pakhator

On Tuesday in Doha, Al-Gharafa from Qatar clinched a narrow 1-0 victory against Pakhtakor, moving them closer to securing a spot in the knockout stage of the Asian Champions League Elite. This comes as former champions Al Hilal delivered an impressive 4-1 win over Persepolis in Riyadh.

Ferjani Sassi was the hero for Al-Gharafa, scoring just six minutes shy of half-time, which propelled Pedro Martins’ team to seventh place in the 12-team standings, with one match remaining.

The top eight clubs from both the western and eastern regions of Asia will advance to the round of 16.

Meanwhile, Persepolis faced a significant setback as their heavy defeat against the reigning Saudi Pro League champions saw them drop out of the qualifying positions.

Ismail Kartal’s side now finds themselves in ninth place, trailing fellow countrymen Esteghlal on goal difference, as they prepare to face Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr in Tehran on February 17th.

Meanwhile, Al Hilal’s Malcom ignited the scoring with a brilliant solo effort just 10 minutes into the match at the Kingdom Arena. He picked up the ball in his own half, exploiting gaps in the Persepolis defence, and charged forward, eventually sidestepping two defenders to slot the ball home via the inside of the post.

Joao Cancelo made it 2-0 just 15 minutes later, taking advantage of a lack of pressure to unleash a low right-foot shot into the bottom corner, despite a feeble attempt at a save by Alexis Guendouz.

Salem Al-Dawsari added a third goal by rounding Guendouz from a tight angle just before half-time, and in stoppage time, the captain unleashed a long-range effort to seal the rout. Giorgi Gvelesiani scored a consolation penalty for Persepolis late in the match.

This victory solidified Al Hilal’s position at the top of the standings, ahead of fellow Saudi teams Al Ahli and Al Nassr, with Qatar’s Al Sadd in fourth place and Al Wasl from the UAE in fifth. All five teams have already secured their progression to the last 16 set to take place in March.