Tasnim - Asian Football Confederation (AFC) site wrote that Mohsen Mosalman and Ramin Rezaeian were particularly important players in providing protection to Persepolis’s defense.
Persepolis and Al Hilal’s 2017 AFC Champions League meeting in Muscat on Tuesday saw the clash of two sides with vastly opposing styles end in deadlock with a 1-1 draw, the-afc wrote.
Table-toppers in their respective leagues, both sides move on with confidence following 90 minutes where both sides will feel they executed their tactical plans to perfection.
Mosalman and Rezaeian’s role was particularly important given their opponents’ determination to push their full-backs forward to support the attack. Both Yasir Al Shahrani and Mohammed Al-Burayk were integral to Hilal’s attempts to make the pitch as wide as possible in their build up play in order to create space for their attacking team-mates. Only midfielder Salman Al Faraj enjoyed more touches of the ball than Al-Burayk and Al Shahrani on the night.
Saudi-side Al Hilal sought to impose themselves from the start, dominating possession from the start to end with 58.6% of the ball over the course of the tie. The Blue Wave spent a lot of the match in the front foot, attempting 18 crosses to their opponents’ six and carving out the clearer of the game’s opportunities.
However, for all of Al Hilal’s dominance of the ball it was its Iranian rival who looked set for the win until Carlos Eduardo’s late headed intervention.
Playing on the counterattack throughout, Persepolis created more shooting chances than its rival over the course of the 90 minutes and got three shots on target to their rival’s two. Branko Ivankovic will surely be delighted with his side’s excellent use of their limited possession.