Doha: Al Sadd SC secured a berth in the knockout round after finishing second in Group D following a defeat against Iran's Persepolis on Thursday, and coach Xavi was impressed with the performances of youngsters in his team.
The Barca great spoke of his pride at the performance of his youngsters despite his side’s 2-1 loss at the hands of the already eliminated Sepahan.
Goals from Reza Mirzaei and Sajjad Shahbazzadeh either side of the half time break were enough to win the tie for the Islamic Republic of Iran side, while youngster Hashim Ali’s consolation came eight minutes from time.
“I am not happy because we lost but I am proud of my young players for their performances,” said Xavi who made 10 changes to his starting XI from the previous match.
“I am happy because we had possession of the ball, and we created chances, But committed two mistakes and as a result conceded two goals, this is the nature of playing in the AFC Champions League.”
“In the second half, we brought in some experienced players like Abdelkarim Hassan and Boualem Khoukhi and we showed character to score a goal and try to get back into the game.
“We can only go far in this competition if we are focused. You cannot win the AFC Champions League without being fully focused. The small details make all the difference in this competition and we cannot afford to make mistakes in the knockout stages”
His counterpart Mojtaba Toutouni was equally happy even as his Sepahan side bowed out of the competition albeit on a high.
“It was a tough match against a strong team like Al Sadd. Things were decided before the game in terms of the group standings and we did not have a chance of qualification,” said Toutouni.
“There are good lessons for the staff and the players to take from playing in the 2020 AFC Champions League. It will make us stronger in the future and more prepared for the new Iran Pro League season.
“The organisation was good, the only issue we faced was the short time between the matches, that is why we had to make a lot of changes.”
Al Sadd’s next match pits them against another Iranian opposition, with Group C winners Persepolis FC awaiting them in the Round of 16, in a repeat of the 2018 AFC Champions League semi-final.
