The AFC Champions League Round of 16 clash between Shabahan and Hilal is probably the most interesting match of the tournament. Shabahan has a tradition of making cold goals at home in Iran.
The Iranian team is known for its tenacity and defensive sturdiness, and Shabahan's players are highly skilled individually, with central midfielder Ahmad Shahdad making accurate passes to create great chances for his teammates up front.
A key player in the team's offense, Lissane was once an attacking defender and now plays as a right winger and has scored 4 goals so far. He is fast, decisive and has a good grasp of goal, and once he gets a pass from his teammates, he will be a huge threat to the opponent's defense.
Although Hilal's star Nima will miss the game, they have no shortage of strong players in their squad. Brazilian nationals Michael and Magan provide a constant stream of creativity up front, while Alexandre Mizouwick is one of the most threatening goalscorers in Asian soccer.
In the midfield, Hilal will be expected to control the tempo of the game if Rubin Neves and Milen Kovicza can control the center of the midfield.
In addition, Hilal's two wing-backs will be frequently involved in the attack, as they have repeatedly created goal-scoring chances for Aleksandar Mizunovic after breaking through on the side. Therefore, Shabahan will have to find a way to deal with this threat.
