AFC - UAE’s Al Wasl FC got their AFC Champions League Two™ 2025/26 Group A campaign off to a fine start after breezing 7-1 past Esteghlal FC of Islamic Republic of Iran on Wednesday.
Fabio Lima and Renato Junior led the way with braces as five players found the net in a commanding display from Al Wasl.
Lima gave Al Wasl the perfect start, the UAE international opening the scoring in the seventh minute with a stunning left-footed strike from outside the box which arrowed into the top left corner.
The hosts doubled their advantage five minutes later when Nicolas Giménez found space in the centre of the box and finished clinically with his left foot into the top right corner.
Pedro Malheiro then made it 3-0 in the 41st minute, latching onto a clever through ball from Serginho before squeezing his shot past keeper Antonio Adan from an acute angle.
Esteghlal tried to claw their way back and almost reduced the deficit in the closing stages of the half when Alireza Koushki’s effort from outside the box rattled the frame of the goal.
The visitors finally found a breakthrough at the stroke of half-time as Roozbeh Cheshmi finished smartly from the centre of the area.
There was no respite for Esteghlal after the break as they conceded a penalty following Duckens Nazon’s foul on Renato Junior, allowing Lima to restore Al Wasl’s three-goal cushion with a cool finish from the spot in the 57th minute.
Junior added the fifth in the 71st minute, firing a low shot into the bottom left corner from close range with Soufiane Bouftini etching his name on the scoresheet with a powerful header in the 84th, having rattled the bar moments earlier.
Junior then completed the emphatic win in the first minute of added time.
