AFC - Last year’s beaten finalists Al Ain cruised into the quarter-finals of the 2017 AFC Champions League on Monday with a comprehensive 6-1 thrashing allowing Zoran Mamic’s side to brush aside the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Esteghlal and advance to the next round.
Caio and Omar Abdulrahman both scored twice as Al Ain bounced back from their 1-0 first leg defeat in Iran to notch up a 6-2 aggregate win and signal their intent as the competition breaks for the summer.
Caio’s first half double put Al Ain in command, the Brazilian netting in the 27th and 33rd minutes, before the floodgates opened in the second half as Esteghlal sought a way back into the tie.
Abdulrahman scored from the tightest of angles four minutes after the restart, while Lee Myung-joo added the fourth seven minutes later before a long range attempt from Abdulrahman made it into the bottom corner on the hour mark.
Nassir Al Shamrani slammed home the sixth in the 76th minute and Kevah Rezaei claimed a consolation for Esteghlal seven minutes from time when his free-kick sneaked in at Khalid Eisa’s near post.