Strong Clashes for Qatari Clubs in AFC Champions League Matchday Five

Capitals, April 25 (QNA) - Qatari clubs Al Sadd, Al Rayyan, and Al Duhail are set to play on Monday in the Matchday Five of the 2021 AFC Champions League. Al Duhail will take Iraq's Al Shorta with their eyes on sealing a qualification spot of Group C. Al Duhail are on top of Group C with eight points followed by Iran's Esteghlal with seven points then Al Ahli Saudi with also seven points and Iraq's Al Shorta in the fourth spot without any points. Also, Al Ahli Saudi will face Iran's Esteghlal in a crucial Group C match with both teams looking to secure a qualification spot. In Group D, Foolad Khouzestan FC and Al Sadd SC will face off in a vital Matchday Five clash on Monday, with defeat not an option for either side in the race to win top spot in Group D of the 2021 AFC Champions League, the AFC website reported. Back-to-back wins for Al Sadd against Jordan's Al Wehdat saw the Qataris jump up to second place in Group D with seven points, one adrift of leaders Al Nassr of Saudi Arabia. Foolad are third on five points and need to win their final two matches to stand a chance of advancing. Foolad's return to the AFC Champions League began against Al Sadd and the Iranians were seconds away from a memorable win, only to concede in the final minute for a share of the points. That was followed by a 1-0 win against Al Wehdat and a 1-1 draw with Al Nassr. The rematch against Al Nassr, however, didn't go according to plan as Foolad fell 2-0 and head coach Jesus Javier Noble will urge his team to reproduce Matchday One form when they face Al Sadd again to ensure they remain within sight of the making the Round of 16 for the first time since 2014. Al Sadd have done well to remain in contention after a slow start which saw them draw with Foolad and suffer a humbling 3-1 defeat to Al Nassr. The 15-time Qatar Stars League champions defeated Al Wehdat 3-1 and 2-0 to pull themselves back into contention but face a tough test against Foolad. Al Sadd have made it past the group stage in their past six appearances in the tournament, and head coach Xavi will demand their best against Foolad, with Al Nassr to come on the final Matchday. In Group E, Al Rayyan of Qatar and India's FC Goa will look to register their first win in the 2021 AFC Champions League when they square off in Group E at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Monday. It has been yet another difficult campaign for Al Rayyan, with the club failing to advance to the Round of 16 at the 10th time of trying. Fc Goa, meanwhile, have relished taking on some of Asia's biggest teams in their debut campaign despite it having been a steep learning curve. The two began their 2021 AFC Champions League campaign with a goalless draw on Matchday One with Al Rayyan then going on to surrender a 1-0 lead against Islamic Republic of Iran's Persepolis in a 3-1 loss. The Qatari side then lost back-to-back to UAE's Al Wahda (3-2, 1-0) to suffer early elimination. Laurent Blanc's side sit bottom of the standings but the Frenchman is adamant that their position doesn't do justice to their quality and with the likes of Yacine Brahimi, Yohan Boli and Shojae Khalilzadeh in his squad, he will expect three points against FC Goa. Group B hosts Sharjah FC will be hoping to repeat their Matchday One win over Air Force Club of Iraq on Monday as they look to extend their unbeaten run in the 2021 AFC Champions League to five matches. Victory against Air Force Club will go a long way in taking Sharjah closer to the Round of 16, as it would move them to 11 points. In fact, should Islamic Republic of Iran's Tractor FC fail to beat Pakhtakor of Uzbekistan in the group's earlier tie on Monday, a Sharjah win over Air Force Club will book them their last 16 ticket with a match to spare. Al Wahda FSCC will be looking to end Persepolis' unbeaten run in the 2021 AFC Champions League when the two meet in Group E at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Monday. Iran's Persepolis - with 12 points in the bag - have all but qualified for the Round of 16 while victory for Al Wahda will keep them within sight of going through. Al Wahda suffered a 1-0 defeat when the two teams met on Matchday One and then were held 0-0 by India's FC Goa. The Abu Dhabi-based club, however, recovered nicely to edge Al Rayyan 3-2 before following up with a 1-0 win against the Qatar side in back-to-back ties. Saudi Arabia's Al Nassr must produce their best once again when they play Al Wehdat of Jordan on Monday's Matchday Five if they are to maintain a grip on top spot in Group D of the 2021 AFC Champions League. Al Nassr lead the group with eight points, one ahead of Qatar's Al Sadd while Al Wehdat are at the bottom of the standings with a solitary point and out of the running for the Round of 16. Foolad Khouzestan FC, meanwhile, are third on five points and still in the running to advance. (QNA)