Al Nasr survive Tractor onslaught to progress to Asian Champions League last 16

Salem Saleh Al Rejaibi of the Al Nasr club, left, vies for the ball against Mehdi Kiani of Iran's Tractor Sazi during their AFC Champions League round 16. Mehdi Zare / AFP

Tractor 3 (Hatami 46', 73', Iranpourian 61')

Al Nasr 1 (Saleh 16')

(Nasr win 5-4 on aggregate)

Man of the match: Esam Dhahi (Al Nasr)

Never before as far as the Asian Champions League knockout stages, Al Nasr are now among its eight best teams, two rounds from its final.

The Dubai club’s unlikely journey continues despite a helter-skelter night in Tabriz, when Iran’s Tractor Sazi triumphed 3-1 in the last-16 second leg, but still went down 5-4 on aggregate. One goal the difference, yet two sides now worlds apart, with Nasr through to the quarter-finals later this year. Their historic run sustains.

Ultimately, the damage was done during the initial encounter last week, but the return match was a nail-biting, topsy-turvy affair. Composed and canny throughout the opening 45 minutes, Nasr needed to be committed and courageous during a fraught second period.

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It had all seemed so straightforward earlier too, when Salem Saleh pounced on Jonathan Pitroipa’s low cross in the 16th minute and stroked the ball home. One up on the night, Nasr were 5-1 up across the two ties, poised to progress.

However, Tractor responded after half time, scoring three times in 27 minutes to drag themselves off the canvas. Farzad Hatami got two either side of a Mohammed Iranpourian thunderbolt, the first once he had outmuscled marker Masoud Sulaiman to fire under Ahmed Shambieh in the Nasr goal, the second a tame strike that somehow squirmed below Shambieh’s body.

With still 17 minutes remaining, the Nasr goalkeeper had gifted Tractor a way back into the contest; they required only one more to send the match into extra time.

Roared on by vocal and vehement support, the hosts laid siege to the Nasr goal, crowding the visitors’ penalty area, sending cross after cross sailing towards those in red and white.

Yet Nasr stood strong, never shirked when that felt the most obvious thing to do. They were given a brief respite on 82 minutes when, on a rare foray into the Tractor half, Mahmoud Khamis struck the post with a free kick.

There was still time for one final scare, though, but Shambieh rose to the challenge, throwing himself through the air to tip away a Tractor shot that was destined for the top corner. Earlier mistake atoned for, Shambieh was swamped by grateful teammates when the final whistle soon sounded minutes later.​

Nasr, never before beyond the groups, are Champions League quarter-finalists. Like compatriots Al Ahli last year, they can now dream of an improbable dig at the final.

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