AFC Champions League: Mahrez and Bounedjah's side suffer defeat against Esteghlal

Qatari side Al-Shamal lost 1-0 to Iran's Esteghlal on Tuesday during the fourth round of the AFC Champions League Elite. Due to the lack of approved venues in Iran, the match was hosted in Iraq. The Qatari team featured Algerian players Nassim Benaissa, Riyad Mahrez, and captain Baghdad Bounedjah. The team finished with ten men following the dismissal of Youssouf Sabaly in stoppage time. Following this result, Al-Shamal remains in eighth place with 5 points, while Esteghlal moves to 9 points, sitting in third position. The competition rules for the West Asia group dictate that the top eight out of sixteen clubs will advance to the round of 16.