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#ACLElite | Shabab Al Ahli (UAE) 2-0 Esteghlal FC (IRN)

MD3: Shabab Al Ahli (UAE) 2-0 Esteghlal FC (IRN)

Dubai: UAE's Shabab Al Ahli maintained their perfect record in the AFC Champions League Elite 2026/27™ with a 2-0 victory over Islamic Republic of Iran's Esteghlal FC at the Rashid Stadium on Tuesday.
The United Arab Emirates side moved up to nine points while Esteghlal’s winning run came to an end.
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Shabab had an early break with Wout Faes sending a through ball to Mohammad Juma at the top of the area in the 10th minute but the forward was muscled out of possession by the Esteghlal defence.

Kauan Santos then almost exposed Esteghlal's defence in the 14th minute when he sent Sardar Azmoun through on goal, but Esteghlal goalkeeper Habib Far Abbasi stood his ground and denied the forward.
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Esteghlal had their first look on goal in the 17th minute when Saleh Hardani drilled his free-kick into the palms of Shabab goalkeeper Matheus Donelli, before Breno failed to connect to Santos’ curling delivery moments later.

Another chance went begging for Shabab in the 24th minute, with Santos again the orchestrator when his set-piece picked out Saeid Ezatolahi, who volleyed over the bar.

MD3: Shabab Al Ahli (UAE) v Esteghlal FC (IRN)

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Esteghlal were almost punished for sloppy defending on the half-hour mark when Azmoun pounced on a stray pass and set up Breno, but the forward pulled his effort agonisingly wide of the right post.

Shabab started the second half on the front foot, with Azmoun slipping a through ball to Breno in the 51st minute, but the forward’s effort from inside the box was repelled by Far Abbasi.
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The breakthrough came in the 69th minute when Azmoun split the Esteghlal defence open with a deep ball into the box for substitute Matheus Lima, who volleyed home past a rooted Far Abbasi.
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Esteghlal’s push for an equaliser left them exposed at the back and Shabab took advantage in the 83rd minute when Lima started the move down the left before Azmoun laid the ball off for Juan Alvina to score from the edge of the six-yard box as the UAE side made it three wins out of three.

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