AL ITTIHAN - SEPAHAN

Al Ittihad and Sepahan currently occupy the top two positions in the group standings, with Al Ittihad already securing a spot in the last 16, while Sepahan is still striving to qualify. Nevertheless, the competition for the top position is still on the line as Al Ittihad has only a 2 points advantage.

The anticipated clash between these teams during the earlier group stage was called off due to political issues, resulting in Al Ittihad being granted a 3-0 victory. This incident is likely to serve as significant motivation for Sepahan, as they perceive the outcome as unjust. Without that result, they could be above Al Ittihad in the table and close to qualify.

Impressively, the Iranian team has achieved three victories and a draw in their remaining four matches, showcasing their prowess and scoring 15 goals in just 4 games. They have made very good performances, and also the draw against Al Quwa Al Jawiya (2:2) was unlucky, conceding a late goal at 89’.

Notably, players like Ramin Rezaeian, a rapid and menacing force on the right flank, and Farshad Ahmadzadeh, a technically adept midfielder capable of exploiting defensive gaps, add strength to Sepahan's lineup.

While Reza Asadi boasts a commendable scoring record this season, he may find it challenging to create many goal-scoring opportunities against the formidable Al Ittihad defense, known for conceding few chances.

Looking ahead to the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup, it's anticipated that Al Ittihad will rest some key players. In just three days they have to play another important league fixture and next 12th, the first round for the FIFA Club World Cup.

They have not made impressive performances so far: won only 2:1 against OKMK, who is one of the worst teams in the tournament (beaten 9:0 by Sepahan) and also lost 2:0 against Al Quwa Al Jawiya

Portuguese winger Jota, likely to start, aims to impress new manager Marcelo Gallardo, especially after being excluded from the league squad by the previous manager. Additionally, prolific goal-scorer Abderrazak Hamdallah, with three goals already this season, is expected to feature and could find the scoresheet.

Given the context, the significance of this match is higher for Sepahan than for Al Ittihad. I also see them more motivated, so I can see Sepahan causing some problems and getting at least a valuable draw.

ISTIKLOL - AL NASSR

Al Nassr have already secured top spot in the group and Istiklol have been eliminated but this should still be an interesting game.

For sure, Al Nassr will not play all of their stars because this game is totally useless. They have important league games coming up so some big names will be rested, while Marcelo Brozovic is suspended.

I see tricky Al Nassr winger Abdulrahman Ghareeb posing a threat on the left when he runs at the opposition defence. On the right side, full-back Sultan Al Ghannam is good at getting forward and sends in some excellent crosses.

Of the foreign players, Otavio has featured a lot so far so he might play. He can unlock defensively minded teams, but I’m sure most of the big names will not play.

Istiklol haven’t won yet but they have drawn both of their home games, so they tend to perform well in front of their own fans, who create a very hostile atmosphere. At home they already managed to draw against Persepolis (1:1).

And the Tajik side caused Al Nassr problems when they met in Riyadh as they closed the opposition down quickly and were very organised. Istiklol led at half-time in that game but, in the end, Al Nassr had too much quality and won 3-1.

Senin Sabai generally plays as the lone striker for Istiklol and has scored their only two goals so far. But I see attacking midfielder Alisher Dhzalilov as the key because he can pick out key forward passes to create opportunities for Sabai.

Istiklol will treat this game very seriously as they look for a famous result, and I think they can get a positive result. They could have less quality than Al Nassr, but will have much more motivation and also the fans support. This two factors in football could be enough to beat an unmotivated team.

伊提罕-斯帕罕

伊蒂哈德和西帕汉目前占据小组积分榜的前两名，伊蒂哈德已经确保了16强的席位，而西帕汉仍在努力出线。尽管如此，由于伊蒂哈德仅领先2分，争夺榜首的竞争仍在进行中。

由于政治原因，这两支球队在小组赛早期预期的交锋被取消，结果伊蒂哈德以3-0获胜。这一事件可能会成为Sepahan的重要动机，因为他们认为结果是不公正的。如果没有这样的结果，他们可能会在积分榜上超过伊蒂哈德，接近出线。

令人印象深刻的是，伊朗队在剩下的4场比赛中取得了3胜1平的成绩，展示了他们的实力，在4场比赛中打进15球。他们的表现非常好，而且在与Al Quwa Al Jawiya(2:2)的平局中也很不走运，在89分钟的最后时刻丢了一个球。

值得注意的是，像拉明·雷扎伊安这样的右路快速而具有威胁性的球员，以及法尔沙德·艾哈迈德扎德这样的技术娴熟的中场球员，能够利用防守间隙，为塞巴汉的阵容增添了力量。

虽然阿萨迪本赛季的进球记录值得称赞，但他可能会发现，面对以少失机会而闻名的强大的伊蒂哈德防线，创造很多进球机会是一项挑战。

展望即将到来的国际足联世俱杯，预计伊蒂哈德将让一些关键球员休息。再过三天，他们还要参加另一场重要的联赛，接下来的12日，他们将参加国际足联世俱杯的首轮比赛。

到目前为止，他们并没有取得令人印象深刻的表现:只以2:1战胜OKMK, OKMK是比赛中表现最差的球队之一(被Sepahan以9:0击败)，还以2:0输给了Al Quwa Al Jawiya

葡萄牙边锋霍塔很可能首发，他的目标是给新主帅马塞洛·加拉多留下深刻印象，尤其是在被前任主帅排除在联赛大名单之外之后。此外，本赛季已经打进3球的高产射手哈姆达拉也有望在本场比赛中占据一席之地。

在这样的背景下，这场比赛对塞巴汉的意义要大于伊蒂哈德。我也看到他们更有动力，所以我可以看到斯帕汉制造了一些问题，至少得到了一个有价值的平局。

Istiklol - al nassr

纳赛尔已经锁定小组头名，伊斯蒂科尔被淘汰出局，但这仍然是一场有趣的比赛。

可以肯定的是，纳赛尔不会让他们所有的球星都上场，因为这场比赛毫无用处。他们接下来有重要的联赛比赛，所以一些大牌球员将会休息，而马塞洛·布罗佐维奇将停赛。

我看到纳赛尔狡猾的边锋阿卜杜勒-拉赫曼-加里布在左路冲向对方防线时构成了威胁。在右路，边后卫Sultan Al Ghannam擅长向前推进，并送出了一些出色的传中。

在外援中，奥塔维奥到目前为止有很多表现，所以他可能会上场。他可以解放防守意识强的球队，但我相信大多数大牌球员都不会上场。

伊斯蒂科尔还没有赢过，但他们在主场的两场比赛都是平局，所以他们在自己的球迷面前表现得很好，球迷们营造了一种非常敌对的气氛。在主场，他们已经1:1战平了波斯波利斯。

塔吉克方面在利雅得会面时造成了纳赛尔的问题，因为他们迅速压制了反对派，而且非常有组织。那场比赛伊斯蒂科尔半场领先，但最终，阿尔·纳赛尔发挥出色，以3-1取胜。

塞宁·萨巴伊通常在伊斯蒂科尔队担任单前锋，迄今为止他只进了两球。但我认为攻击型中场阿利舍尔·扎利洛夫是关键，因为他可以挑出关键的向前传球，为萨巴伊创造机会。

伊斯蒂科尔会非常认真地对待这场比赛，因为他们期待着一个著名的结果，我认为他们会得到一个积极的结果。他们的实力可能不如纳赛尔，但会有更多的动力和球迷的支持。在足球中，这两个因素足以击败一支缺乏动力的球队。