Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Tehran: Proud coach Hamid Derakhshan praised his Persepolis players for their performance in Tuesday’s 3-0 victory over Qatari champions Lekhwiya in their AFC Champions League Group A opener at the Azadi Stadium.
After a goalless first half, Persepolis scored twice in quick succession after the hour mark as first defender Mohsen Bengar and then striker Hadi Norozi got on the score sheet for the Iran Pro League side.
Midfielder and captain Mohammad Noori netted Persepolis’ third from the penalty spot with seven minutes remaining after he had been fouled by Mohamed Musa.
Match report: Persepolis 3-0 Lekhwiya
“I’m proud of my players; they’ve done a great job scoring three wonderful goals. It was a completely different game from the league games because Lekhwiya came here to play real football and take the three points,” said Persepolis coach Derakhshan, whose side currently languish in mid-table in the domestic league with just one win in the last five fixtures.
“I've been under heavy pressure in the last couple of days and I believe it’s better to give sufficient time to coaches to let them show their abilities.
“I had analysed Lekhwiya before the game and the first half went exactly like what I was expecting. During the interval, I talked to my players in the dressing room and you saw what happened in the second half.
“I also wish to remain thankful to all of the fans who came to the stadium to support us and now I'd like to dedicate this victory to all of them."
Lekhwiya coach Michael Laudrup, meanwhile, was magnanimous in defeat and refused to find excuses for his side’s loss in Tehran.
“I'd like to congratulate Persepolis for the win. In the first half, the two teams were at the same level but in the second we lost our concentration after conceding two goals,” said Lekhwiya coach Laudrup.
“We couldn’t fulfil our plans but I hope we can make up for this in the next games. It was a disappointing start in the AFC Champions League, however, we expected a tough match against Persepolis who has a lot of motivation in continental events.
“I don't think the fact that we hadn't acclimatised to the weather in Tehran affected our performance. We have professional players who were not influenced by the cold weather in here.”
Photo: WSG