Tractor, Shabab Al Ahli Share Spoils at 2025-26 ACL Elite
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Shabab Al Ahli and 10-man Tractor shared the spoils in a 1-1 stalemate in their opening AFC Champions League Elite 2025-26 match at the Rashid Stadium on Tuesday.
An underwhelming opening 10 minutes came to life when Tractor’s Shoja Khalilzadeh sent a cross from his own half to Tomislav Strkalj, who came down the middle and struck a spectacular 25-yard strike past a rooted Hamad Almeqbaali in the 14th minute.
Tractor went down to 10 men in the 51st minute when a VAR decision saw Domagoj Drozdek’s yellow card being upgraded to red after the striker had brought down Saeid Ezatolahi.
Custodian Ali Beiranvand went full stretch to tip the ball over the bar from Federico Cartabia’s shot from distance in the 60th minute, but after blocking an attempt from Yuri Cesar, failed to stop Bala from jumping on the rebound and slotting home five minutes later for the equalizer.
Tractor will host Al Wahda of the UAE in Tabriz on September 29.
