Sepahan vs Al-Ittihad

Naghsh-e-Jahan Stadium is the venue as Sepahan and Al-Ittihad go head-to-head in an exciting AFC Champions League encounter.

Sepahan’s Group C journey began with a goal-glutted 2-2 draw against Al Quwa Al Jawiya as they turned the game on its head after conceding an early goal, only to relinquish that lead in the 88th minute. A lack of match fitness may prove a problem for the ‘Yellow Storm,’ given that the draw against their neighbors remains their only competitive outing since the beginning of September, casting doubt on their capacity to fend off star-studded Al-Ittihad. But Sepahan can draw confidence from going unbeaten in seven competitive home games since the start of March (W6, D1), registering four clean sheets across their last six contests at the Naghsh-e-Jahan Stadium.

On the other hand, Al-Ittihad failed to impress in their most recent Saudi Pro League outing, drawing 0-0 against Al-Feiha on the road. It was their second consecutive stalemate in all competitions after three straight victories beforehand. The pressure starts to grow on manager Nuno Espirito Santo, who’s keen to lead Al-Ittihad to their first Champions League triumph since 2005 after helping them end a 14-year title drought in domestic football last campaign. Espirito Santo’s men have been impressive at the back this season, especially on the road, racking up five clean sheets on six road trips (W4, D2). But after netting 3+ goals per game on three successive travels earlier this campaign, they’ve scored just twice in regulation time across their last three away matches.