Esteghlal 5 - 1 Yanbu (379284457)

Fairly good weather for football had drawn a crowd of 5442 to SardarJangal. Tahir Khawwas was the appointed referee with assistance provided by Joni Pekki and Frank Stuffer. Esteghlal had chosen a strategic 2-5-3 formation. The following players had been chosen: Marzuban - Afshin, van der Wolf - Elhami, Sánchez-Bedoya, Danielsson, Kolbuch, Valsania - Schwald, Mota, Hamedian.

Yanbu decided to use a 3-5-2 set up. They fielded: Henríquez - Breitling, Hojjati, Lobeira - Coutin, Momin, Arizmendi López, Kahsib, Sillanpää - Barović, Kozin.

Yanbu mostly ignored the flanks in favour of their ability to attack in the middle. The visitors' central defence should have had no trouble clearing the pass to F. Elhami, but the Esteghlal player managed to shrug them off and fired a low shot past the keeper to give his team the lead. 1 - 0! With 9 minutes played, H. Schwald could have brought this one home for Esteghlal as he charged up on the left, but his hooked ball went just a bit too high. 17 minutes in, Yanbu's O. Kahsib received a yellow card for going into a challenge studs first. Unfortunately for Esteghlal, F. Mota was injured when the game became more physical, and he had to leave the field. F. Maiborg Larsen replaced him. A speedy charge from the left side of the field increased the lead of Esteghlal to 2 - 0 as O. Afshin finished it off competently, firing in from an acute angle. After this, you could see that the players of Esteghlal were more interested in killing time than scoring more goals. Encouraged by their lead, after 30 minutes the Esteghlal coach asked O. Hamedian to change positions with C. van der Wolf. Y. Kozin's speed was clear to see after 32 minutes, as he darted down the wing and released O. Barović who placed the ball into the back of the net to make the score 2 - 1. It was 2 - 1 at the break. Possession in this half belonged to Esteghlal, who controlled the ball 62 percent of the time.

As the match clock hit 46 minutes, Esteghlal regrouped to try and keep their initiative in the game. F. Elhami high-fived O. Hamedian as they swapped positions on the team. Esteghlal's H. Schwald swung in a good chance from the left, but the visitors' defence were able to clear the ball. While defending the Esteghlal lead, S. Sánchez-Bedoya got a new role. 60 minutes in the game, his coach ordered him to change positions with F. Elhami. After 71 minutes, Yanbu were awarded a free kick. Rather than shooting straight at goal, the taker went for an indirect variant which seemed to take his team mates a bit by surprise. Y. Kozin did attempt a finish, but from an awkward position, sending the ball into the away fans. Esteghlal's H. Schwald increased the lead to 3 - 1, after he saw his shot go between the legs of the advancing goalkeeper following some good play down the right wing after 72 minutes. F. Elhami increased the lead for Esteghlal to 4 - 1, getting a head onto a hooked ball from the right. The ball looked to have taken a deflection on the way in, but he's claiming it! After 75 minutes, Esteghlal felt secure enough to make a tactical change. D. Valsania and S. Sánchez-Bedoya assumed each others positions on the field. After 76 minutes, F. Elhami put Esteghlal ahead 5 - 1 when he rose to head in a cross from the right wing. At that, F. Elhami was noted down for a hat trick! A late sliding challenge from O. Kahsib was deemed to be his second yellow card offence by the referee, resulting in him being sent off, and Yanbu left a man down. Esteghlal enjoyed most of the ball, as they maintained 66 percent of possession.

Esteghlal's best player was H. Kolbuch. On the other hand, F. Maiborg Larsen's play was disheartening. L. Arizmendi López performed admirably for Yanbu. However, E. Henríquez made a disastrous appearance. The match ends 5 - 1.