What was expected to represent an intimidating Azadi Stadium proved a little more hospitable than Al Ain imagined.
Admittedly, the UAE club were not granted the warmest of welcomes in Iran’s capital, where the majority took to the field sporting gloves for Tuesday night’s Asian Champions League match with Naft Tehran. At 6 degrees Celsius, this seemed a long way from the Garden City.
However, Al Ain were not completely unsettled by alien environs, performing well enough in the largely empty arena to depart with a share of the spoils.
A 1-1 draw was just about right on a night when both teams enjoyed spells of dominance, Al Ain beginning brightly before Naft finished the stronger. In between, goals from Siamek Kooroshi and Asamoah Gyan – a penalty – ensured a point went to each team.
Group B was always going to test the resolve of last season’s semi-finalists, although Al Ain will be disappointed with their haul thus far in this freshly minted tournament.
Two rounds in, Zlatko Dalic's men have two points, which might be viewed as a meagre return for a team with genuine aspirations of improving on their 2014 run.
Yet Al Ain will seek positives. Naft lead the Iranian league, while Al Ain traditionally struggle across the Arabian Gulf and have still to register a victory there in seven attempts. Five draws has become six.
Had they capitalised on their initial superiority, Al Ain would have finally broken through, but instead they found Ali Beiranvand, Naft’s goalkeeper, in a less-than-generous mood.
Tested throughout the first half, the Iranian was equal to Gyan, twice, and once to Diaky Ibrahim.
Mohammed Abdulrahman spurned the greatest opportunity, though, heading over on the stroke of half time with the goal at his mercy.
Al Ain were made to pay soon after the break. Slow to react to a long throw, they allowed Kooroshi to ghost into the area unmarked and glance his header past Khalid Essa.
Introduced only moments before, it was the Naft defender’s first touch.
How relieved were Al Ain, then, that Gyan has rediscovered his. The Ghanaian, who was top scorer in the competition last year, was on target in Saturday's Arabian Gulf League success against Fujairah and continued his recent renaissance just before the hour.
He created and dispatched the penalty, although Naft had justifiable reservations about the award, given for a handball against Mehdi Shiri.
Back on even terms, Dalic introduced Omar Abdulrahman, Miroslav Stoch and Jires Kembo Ekoko, but the talented trio failed to spark their side.
Instead, two late stops from Essa protected the point.
Mired in the middle of a run of five fixtures in two weeks, Al Ain can now look forward to Sunday's top-of-the-table league clash against Al Jazira.
Asia returns on March 18, and Al Ain will hope their winning form does, too.
jmcauley@thenational.ae
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