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Al Nasr defeated 3-0 by Sepahan in Iran

Al Nasr suffered a 3-0 defeat at Sepahan in Iran on Wednesday night, although the scoreline was not an entirely accurate reflection of a game in which the visiting UAE side had their fair share of possession and chances. Sepahan now sit top of Group C in the AFC Champions League after their first match.

Al Nasr began cautiously as they tried to sit tight and hit Sepahan on the counter attack where possible, but in the 22nd minute they were undone by Sepahan's German player Sukaj, who converted his chance to put the home side 1-0 up in front of a packed crowd. Al Nasr did their best to fight back and Mascara and Linardo Lima both had chances to restore parity, but were unable to find a way through and at half time they remained a goal down.

The second half saw the introduction of Japanese playmaker Takayuki Morimoto for Al Nasr, and the visitors took control of the game but could not make their possession and chances count. As the match wore on, Walter Zenga's men began to tire and two late lapses in concentration cost them dearly as Sukaj scored his brace to make it 2-0 in the 80th minute, before Ebrahimi wrapped up the win with a third goal in the 86th minute.