Persepolis come from behind to edge FC Goa in Champions League

Edu Bedia had given the Gaurs the lead in the first half.

FC Goa's first AFC Champions League goal went in vain as Persepolis FC registered a hard-fought 2-1 victory against FC Goa in a Group-E match at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Tuesday.

The Iranian club proved too strong for the Gaurs as they added to the earlier victories against Al Ahli Saudi FC and Al Rayyan SC. They now have an impressive five-point lead at the top of the standings at the halfway stage.

Persepolis started the tie on the front foot and had their first look at the goal after 10 minutes but Ahmad Noorollahi sent his free-kick straight into the arms of FC Goa custodian Dheeraj Singh. The Gaurs gradually grew into the match and were rewarded in the 14th minute when Edu Bedia rose high to nod home Brandon Fernandes’ free-kick to register a historic moment for the Indian club.

The visitors, however, came back fighting and equalised when Mahdi Torabi sent Dheeraj Singh the wrong way from the spot in the 18th minute after Isa Alkasir had been brought down inside the box. Persepolis increased their intensity of play and captain Seyed Jalal Hosseini scored his second of the campaign in the 24th minute when he angled his header into the back of the net following Torabi’s cross from the left flank.

Dheeraj Singh was at his best in the 42nd minute to deny Hossein Kanaani from the penalty spot following a foul on Ehsan Pahlavan. The FC Goa goalkeeper was kept busy after the restart, foiling Torabi just a minute in and then saving Hosseini’s header from inside the area moments later.

In an effort to boost their attacking threat, the hosts sent Princeton Rebello and Ishan Pandita in place of Glan Martins and Brandon Fernandes respectively, but Persepolis continued to pull the strings to see out the match for another three points.

The two sides will meet again on Friday with Yahya Golmohammadi's team aiming to take a step closer to the Round of 16 while FC Goa will surely relish another go at Persepolis.

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