Sepahan beats UAE’s Al-Nasr at AFC Champions League

Iranian club Sepahan has defeated Al-Nasr of the United Arab Emirates at the group stage of the 2012 AFC Champions League. Sepahan edged past Al-Nasr 1-0 in its Group C opening match thanks to a late winner at Isfahan’s Fouladshahr stadium on Wednesday. After a goalless first half, the Iranian side started off the second half as the better team of the pitch and created some scoring chances but none of them found a way to the net until the 84th minut A deep move from the right and some neat passes behind visitors' box teed up the ball for Sepahan’s Brazilian striker Bruno Correa, who clinched all three points of the match for his side. "We got off to a good start and I believe Sepahan deservedly snatched all three points," Sepahan coach Zlatko Kranjcar said after the match, adding, "We had the game under our control from the kick-off. I knew they'd plan on defending a lot, so I sent three strikers out there on the pitch. We could have scored even morebut squandered away most of our chances.” Later on the day, another Iranian club Persepolis and Saudi champions Al-Hilal played out to a 1-1 draw in their Group D opener at the Prince Faisal bin Fahd stadium in Riyadh. Ali Karimi opened the scoring from the penalty spot for Persepolis when Osama Hawsawi was red-carded for handling the ball on the goal line, but Mohammed al-Shalhoub restored parity for the home side early in the second half through a free-kick.