The hosts will start with a victory! Esteghlal Tehran vs Al-Gharafa Prediction
On Monday, one of the opening matches of the AFC Champions League will be held in Tehran, where Esteghlal Tehran will host Qatar's Al-Gharafa at Azadi Stadium. Here's a match prediction from the Dailysports expert team.
Esteghlal Tehran
Last season, Esteghlal was in contention for the championship and held the top spot with five games remaining. However, a critical misstep in an away match against Nassaji Mazandaran proved costly in their title chase. As a result, Javad Nekounam's team finished second, losing the championship to Persepolis by a single point.
Esteghlal hasn’t had the most successful start to the new season, winning just one of their first three matches. They secured a 2-1 away victory against Shams Azar in the opening round, but were held to a 2-2 home draw against Malavan. In their final match before the international break, they suffered a 0-1 away defeat to Esteghlal Khuzestan.
Al-Gharafa
The "Cheetahs" finished third in the Qatar Stars League last season, falling three points short of Al-Rayyan. This third-place finish granted them a spot in the AFC Champions League qualifiers, where they edged out Al-Ahli Dubai 1-0 in the final.
Al-Gharafa also reached the semifinals of both the Qatar Cup and the Emir Cup, losing to Al-Rayyan (1-2) and Qatar SC on penalties, respectively.
In the new Qatar Stars League season, Al-Gharafa currently sits fifth with five points from four matches. In their most recent league match, they drew 1-1 at home against Al-Shamal, after previously avenging their Qatar Cup defeat by beating Al-Rayyan 2-1 at home.
Interesting Facts and Head-to-Head History
- These teams last faced each other in March 2010, with Esteghlal prevailing over two legs in the AFC Champions League.
- Both teams have scored in three of Esteghlal’s last four matches.
- In only two of Al-Gharafa’s last five games did both teams score.
Esteghlal Tehran vs Al-Gharafa Prediction
Bookmakers favor the home team, pricing an Esteghlal win at 1.76. Given the advantage of playing in Tehran, the prediction here is a "Win for Esteghlal Tehran" as they look to start their AFC Champions League campaign on a positive note.
