TEHRAN – Persepolis coach Yahya Golmohammadi is fully aware that the match against Al Taawoun is very deciding match for them but he is optimistic they can defeat their rivals.

Iran’s Persepolis and Saudi Arabia’s Al Taawoun will lock horn at Education City Stadium in the second 2020 AFC Champions League Group C fixture on Tuesday.

Persepolis resume their continental duties on a high, having secured their fourth consecutive Iran Pro League title with a 14-point margin. Al Taawoun, meanwhile, survived a domestic scare, managing to avoid relegation on the final day of the season, having finished third in 2018-19.

On the AFC Champions League front, Al Taawoun started brightly, winning their opening two matches against Emirati team Sharjah and Al Duhail of Qatar.

“We are ready for this match since we are Persepolis and are obliged to fight for the win. It will be a tough match since they are table toppers but our players are well-prepared for the match,” Golmohammadi said in the pre-match news conference.

“We’re a team with a big heart and our players try to make the team proud. Mehdi Torabi and Ali Alipour have left us and it could be a blow to us but we have signed several new players and they can fill their empty places,” the ex-Iran defender added.

“We didn’t have enough time to prepare the team but I am optimistic about the match and know that our players will do their best to win the game,” he concluded.