Sepahan entered the match leading Group D on 6 points and as the only unbeaten team in the group, however, playing Al Ain away was never going to be easy.  Al Ain took the lead 6 minutes into the match thanks to poor defending which left Ali Al Wehaibi unmarked in Sepahan’s penalty area and he drove a powerful shot home from close range.

Sepahan’s Seyed Mohammad Salehi had scored all of Sepahan’s three goals in their previous two ACL matches and he scored again to level the match in 8^th minute with a powerful shot from outside of Al Ain penalty area, Salehi is yet to score for Sepahan in the Iranian league but he cannot stop scoring in ACL!

A late goal at the end of the first half and another late goal at the end of the second half secured the match for Al Ain despite Sepahan scoring once in the second half, the match ended 3-2 in favour of the hosts Al Ain.

This match for me was ‘the one that got away’, Al Ain are not the same powerful team as in the last four seasons when they always progressed to the knockout stage of ACL, unless they improve their game I cannot see Al Ain winning Group D, only the group winner will progress to the quarter finals.

Sepahan are not the strongest side in the group either but in their first two matches and particularly against Al Shabab of Saudi Arabia they displayed a solid performance based on an impenetrable defence line and an on form goalkeeper.  Unfortunately for Sepahan their defence let them down this time round, the reliable keeper Armenak Petrosiyan was at fault for the second goal conceded as he failed to punch a cross clear in the 6 yard box, poor marking by the defence cost Sepahan the other two goals.  Sepahan also missed a number of clear cut chances to score, this was simply not going to be their day, Sepahan were more than capable of beating Al Ain but they did not perform on the day.  The 12 hours flight delay to UAE did not help Sepahan either as they started to look tired towards the end of the match when they conceded a late goal.