“Talisca's introduction made a significant difference. He contributed to increasing the game's tempo and was influential from the moment he stepped onto the pitch,” said Pioli. "It was a difficult match at the start; we could have begun stronger, but our performance improved in the second half, and we managed to secure the win.

"We have many matches ahead in the league, the King's Cup, and the AFC Champions League Elite, but we are committed to preparing the team well to maintain positive results and achieve victories."

Esteghlal head coach Sohrab Bakhtiarizadeh lamented his team’s missed chances despite a disciplined performance.

"I believe we saw a very good game from a technical standpoint. Both teams started with different plans, aiming to score, and we focused on playing behind the opponents, knowing they had creative and experienced attackers. Our goal was to close the spaces and limit their chances while looking to strike on counter-attacks, said Bakhtiarizadeh.

“Defensively, we performed well except for a lapse that led to their goal. We had good chances to score on the counter, but we didn’t capitalise.

“Even after conceding, we had opportunities to equalise but failed to take advantage. Our strategy was based on the resources we had, not on whether it was a home or away game. We believed this approach could neutralise Al Nassr's stars like Ronaldo and Mane while hurting them on the break. Unfortunately, we didn’t make the most of our chances, which cost us the result."