Al Rayyan lost 0-2 to Esteghlal of Iran in the eighth and final round of West Zone group stage in the 2024-2025 season AFC Champions League Elite at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium of Al Rayyan club on Tuesday.

Both of Esteghlal goals came in the second half with Mohammad Azadi opening the scoring in the 46th minute before Alireza Koushki consolidated the lead in the 69th minute to increase the Iranians points tally to nine while the Lions, who were favoured by Monday's result with qualification for the knockout stage already secured before the match, remaining on eight.

Esteghlal’s victory secured them a sixth-place finish, while Al Rayyan ended up in seventh, allowing both teams to advance to the Round of 16.

The match began with both teams exchanging attempts, as Mahmoud Trezeguet had his shot saved, and Didier Ndong failed to direct his effort on target from a favourable position.

Following this, Esteghlal goalkeeper Seyed Hosseini was called into action frequently, making crucial saves to deny Roger Guedes and Trezeguet, ensuring the score remained level at halftime.

In a remarkable start to the second half, Esteghlal took the lead just one minute in. Kooshki pursued the ball down the left flank and delivered a cross that was expertly chested into the net by Mohammadreza Azadi.

Al Rayyan believed they had equalized in the 65th minute, but Guedes’ goal was disallowed due to offside. Their situation worsened four minutes later when Kooshki skillfully maneuvered into the penalty area and extended Esteghlal’s lead, propelling them into the next round.

Despite a late surge from Al Rayyan, Esteghlal displayed resilience and determination, successfully maintaining their lead until the conclusion of the thrilling match.