Marusic gave the hosts an early fright when he rattled the post after controlling Marko Stanojevic’s pass into the area but Shabab Al Ahli went in front when Mateusao finished off a flowing attacking move, lifting the ball over Umidjon Ergashev after Azmoun’s pass.

The home should have doubled that advantage three minutes later but Yassine Boualam’s weak header was off target and the lurking Mateusao was unable to apply a finishing touch from inside the six yard box.

By the half hour mark Nasaf had pulled level, Mosgovoy stroking home an unstoppable right-foot strike when he made a perfect connection with Walid Abbas’ loose pass out of defence. But the goal provoked an immediate reaction from the hosts.

It was Azmoun who did the damage, working the ball onto his right foot inside the Nasaf penalty area after collecting Saeid Ezatolahi’s pass from the right on his chest and hitting a powerful shot that took a decisive deflection to fly over Ergashev.

The prolific Iranian pounced again two minutes later, this time calmly side-footing home when Ergashev had parried Yuri Cesar’s centre from the left into the striker’s path.

Any thoughts Shabab Al Ahli had that they would cruise to victory from there were extinguished, however, as Marusic slotted in his side’s second of the night after Murodbek Rahmatov’s pass put him in position to convert from eight yards.

After a goal-filled opening 45 minutes, chances were at a premium after the interval although Azmoun almost played Boualam in for his side’s fourth with 12 minutes remaining only for Ergashev to race out and block the Moroccan’s attempt.

That miss mattered little as Shabab Al Ahli completed the win that guaranteed they would do into the draw for the last 16 as Group D winners.