Zobahan Needs a Draw to Qualify

Zobahan and Tractorsazi will face their rivals in the AFC Champions League on Tuesday.

It is do or die for Lokomotiv and Zobahan when the second and third-placed sides face off in Group B with the winners to advance to second place at Lokomotiv Stadium, in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, the AFC reported on its website.

Sardor Mirzaev netted a brace as Lokomotiv claimed an excellent 4-1 win away at Al Wahda of the UAE on Matchday Five to move level on six points with Zobahan, which lost 1-0 at home to Qatar’s Al Duhail.

With the teams going into the final game on the same points, it will be Zobahan which progresses with a draw after the Iranian side defeated the Uzbek team earlier in the competition.

Lokomotiv, which lost 2-1 to Nasaf in its last domestic league game, welcomed Oleg Zteev back from suspension but is without the banned Ikromjon Alibaev.

Zobahan, meanwhile, drew 1-1 with Foolad Khouzestan in the Iran Pro League and currently occupies third place in the league as it chases a spot in next season’s continental competition.

 Already Eliminated

The bottom two sides in Group A will close their continental campaigns on Tuesday as Tractorsazi Trabriz hosts Al Gharafa of Qatar at Yadegar-e Emam Stadium in Tabriz.

Tractorsazi has endured a miserable campaign and has yet to pick up a win, with a 2-0 reversal against Al Ahli of Saudi Arabia on Matchday Five finally confirming its elimination.

Al Gharafa’s 3-2 home defeat to the UAE’s Al Jazira two weeks ago ended the Qatari side’s hopes of progressing to the knockout rounds because of an inferior head-to-head record against the Emiratis.

The host’s form domestically has been equally disappointing as Friday’s loss to Sepidrood Rasht in the Iran Pro League was its 10th game without a win, while Al Gharafa’s last game was a 3-0 win over Qatar SC.

Al Gharafa will be without Assim Madibo after his red card against Al Jazira as the sides aim to end the competition on a high having won just one game between them.