Wasl Clinches Group Lead in AFC Champions League 2 with 1-1 Comeback Draw at Esteghlal
26 November 2025
Match Recap
Al Wasl sealed the leadership of Group A of the AFC Champions League 2 after a 1-1 draw with Esteghlal at the Shahre Qods City Stadium on Wednesday, in the fifth round.
Saeed Saharkhizan gave Esteghlal the opening goal in the 6th minute, while Hugo Neto equalized for Wasl in the 63rd, boosting Wasl to 11 points from five games. Al-Muharraq sits second with seven, Esteghlal on five, and Al-Wehdat on four.
The final round of the group is scheduled for December 25, 2026, with Al-Muharraq vs Esteghlal in Arad and Wasl vs Al-Wehdat in Dubai.
Earlier rounds saw Wasl defeat Esteghlal 7-1 in Dubai, Al-Muharraq beat Al-Wehdat 4-0 in Arad, Wasl beat Al-Wehdat 2-1 in Amman, and Al-Muharraq edged Esteghlal 1-0 in Shahre Qods. In Round 3, Wasl beat Al-Muharraq 1-0 in Arad and Esteghlal beat Al-Wehdat 2-0 in Shahre Qods, while Round 4 produced a Wasl-Al-Muharraq 2-2 draw in Dubai and an Al-Wehdat- Esteghlal 1-1 draw in Amman.
First half… Esteghlal dominates
Esteghlal controlled the opening period and struck early when Saharkhizan pierced the box, firing into the bottom corner; Wasl goalkeeper Khaled Al-Sinani saved it, but the rebound found Saharkhizan who finished from close range in minute six.
Esteghlal replaced an injured Munir Hadadi in the 18th minute with Mehran Ahmadi as Wasl pressed on the break, attempting to exploit the wings, especially on the left with Bryan Palacios and Hugo Neto behind him, searching for an equalizer.
Wasl came close to a second-half goal just before the interval as a long-range shot from Saharkhizan skimmed wide of the post, keeping the score 1-0 at the break.
Second half… Wasl finds a response
Wasl started the second period with Matheus Saldanha replacing Renato Junior to add bite up front, while Esteghlal continued to press for a second. A dangerous run from Jasir Asani in the area produced a shot toward the near post that Khaled Al-Sinani pushed away in the 50th minute.
Wasl equalized in the 63rd minute as Serginho teed up Hugo Neto who fired past the keeper on the left. Wasl then pressed for the winner, with Asani forcing another save, and Serginho seeing efforts blocked and narrowly miss the target late on.
The forwards could not find a late breakthrough, and the match finished 1-1, a result that cemented Wasl’s place at the top of the group and ensured their progression to the knockout stage.
It should be noted that Esteghlal vs Wasl was delayed by an hour due to the Iranian driver getting lost en route to the venue, delaying kickoff and the teams’ warmups.
What it means
The result secures Wasl’s progress to the knockout rounds as a group winner, with the format allowing the top two teams from each group to advance. The campaign has featured dramatic swings, including early-round blowouts and late equalisers that kept fans on edge.
Bottom line: Wasl’s 1-1 draw in Tehran keeps the UAE club on top as the group enters its final phase, with a chance to finish the campaign with a comfortable lead and a place in the later rounds.
Final punchlines: If football were a sniper, it would always aim for the back of the net—yet somehow the ball keeps dodging like a defender who saw a sale at the snack bar. And if suspense had a scoreboard, it would show 1-1 while the referee clocks out for a coffee break.
