In Pictures: Al Shabab give Esteghlal a tough fight

Al Shabab even led by a goal at the end of the first half with the Dubai side's attack muscling its way throughout the first 45 minutes. Al Ittihad

The game was expected to be physical given the rivalry between clubs from both these countries. The players did not disappoint. Al Ittihad

The bulk of the battle was in the midfield with both sides making moves forward. Al Ittihad

It was a different story in the second half, though, with Esteghlal attacking harder while Shabab, with a 1-0 lead, content to defend. Here, Khosro Heidari, of Esteghlal, goes past Shabab's Ali Hamdan in an attempt to score. Satish Kumar / The National

Azizbek Haydarov, the Al Shabab hero furing the group stage, is stopped in his tracks by Jlloyd Samuel. Satish Kumar / The National

A few attempts to make a break, like Ciel tries here, went in vain with the likes of Khosro Heidari as competitive. Satish Kumar / The National