Esteghlal Edges Al Hilal, Persepolis Vanquished

Esteghlal recorded a hard-fought 1-0 victory against 2017 runner-up Al Hilal thanks to an own goal from Abdullah Al Hafith on Matchday two of the AFC Champions League Group D clash on Tuesday at Seeb Sports Complex in Muscat, Oman.
Al Hilal came close to opening the scoring in the final minutes of the first half when new signing Achraf Bencharki set up Ali Al Bulayhi to cut inside and strike from the edge of the box, but saw his shot saved by goalkeeper Mehdi Rahmat.