The knock-out phase of the 2016 AFC Champions League got underway this week. Tractor Sazi and Zob Ahan both were in the United Arab Emirates for the first legs of their matchups with Emirati clubs.
At the Al-Maktoum Stadium in Dubai, Tractor Sazi suffered a terrible 4-1 loss to Al-Nasr SC on 17 May. The first half did not go to plan as Al-Nasr had a 2-0 lead heading into the interval with goals from Ahmed Al-Yassi in the 15th minute and Salem Saleh in the 41st minute.
Augusto pulled one back for Tractor at the hour mark to cut the lead to 2-1. For a moment it looked like maybe Tractor had a chance to make the game more interesting but nearly twenty minutes later, Saleh added his second of the match to put Al-Nasr back in a two goal lead.
In the 89th minute, a long range blast with an evil swerve from Mahmoud Khamees got past keeper Mohammadreza Akhbari to give Al-Nasr a 4-1 win and a lot of confidence heading into the return leg that will be played in Tabriz on 24 May.
In order for Tractor to advance to the quarter-finals, they must defeat Al-Nasr 3-0 in Tabriz. That is a lot to ask for but it can be done.
Zob Ahan took on Al-Ain at the Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium on 18 May. Zob Ahan knew they would have their hands full playing on the road against the team that finished second place in the UAE Pro League.
Brazilian striker Douglas put Al-Ain in front after nine minutes to give his side a 1-0 lead.
This was a tough match with both teams playing tight defense. The score remained the same at the interval but the Isfahani club knew they had to find a way to score in the second half.
In the 75th minute, Zob Ahan found the equalizer courtesy of a crucial mistake by Al-Ain keeper Khalid Eisa. A cross from the right that went into the penalty area was headed by midfielder Mohammadreza Abbasi. Khalid Eisa misjudged the ball as it bounced over his hands and into the net.
The Zob Ahan players were ecstatic to even the score. Head coach Yahya Golmohammadi was pleased with the 1-1 draw but he knows the job is not finished yet as the return leg will be played in Isfahan on 25 May.