Al-Gharafa host Esteghlal FC in the AFC Champions League. Esteghlal have been winning regularly and keeping things tight at the back lately, while Al-Gharafa have been struggling for results in their recent matches.
The two sides have met once before, back in 2024, when Esteghlal ran out big winners on the road. This time the venue is reversed, with Al-Gharafa back on home turf after a difficult start to their own campaign.
Analysis updated .
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Form: Esteghlal unbeaten, Al-Gharafa off the boil
Esteghlal's last 20 matches read 11 wins, 5 draws and just 4 losses, with 25 goals scored and only 11 conceded. They've won their last two outings and haven't lost in five, keeping clean sheets in four of those five games.
Al-Gharafa: 20 completed matches; Esteghlal FC: 20 completed matches.
Al-Gharafa
- Win
- 25% 5 / 20
- Draw
- 30% 6 / 20
- Loss
- 45% 9 / 20
- Scored
- 28
- Conceded
- 35
- Difference
- -7
Esteghlal FC
- Win
- 55% 11 / 20
- Draw
- 25% 5 / 20
- Loss
- 20% 4 / 20
- Scored
- 25
- Conceded
- 11
- Difference
- +14
| League | Home | Away | Date | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AFC Champions League Elite | Al-Hilal Saudi FC | Al-Gharafa | 15.09.2026 | 2-1 |
| Stars League | Al-Gharafa | Lusail City | 11.09.2026 | 0-0 |
| Stars League | Al Sadd | Al-Gharafa | 05.09.2026 | 4-1 |
| Qatar Cup | Al Sadd | Al-Gharafa | 01.09.2026 | 2-1 |
| Stars League | Al-Gharafa | Al Shamal | 27.08.2026 | 1-3 |
| Stars League | Al-Gharafa | Al Shahaniya | 21.08.2026 | 2-1 |
| Friendlies Clubs | Al Riyadh | Al-Gharafa | 27.07.2026 | 2-2 |
| Friendlies Clubs | Šamorín | Al-Gharafa | 19.07.2026 | 2-1 |
| Emir Cup | Al-Gharafa | Al Sadd | 09.05.2026 | 4-1 |
| Emir Cup | Al Wakrah | Al-Gharafa | 05.05.2026 | 0-0 |
| League | Home | Away | Date | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AFC Champions League Elite | Esteghlal FC | Al Sadd | 14.09.2026 | 3-0 |
| Persian Gulf Pro League | Esteghlal FC | Paykan | 10.09.2026 | 1-0 |
| Persian Gulf Pro League | Aluminium Arak | Esteghlal FC | 06.09.2026 | 0-0 |
| Persian Gulf Pro League | Esteghlal FC | Persepolis FC | 02.09.2026 | 1-1 |
| Persian Gulf Pro League | Foolad FC | Esteghlal FC | 28.08.2026 | 0-0 |
| Persian Gulf Pro League | Esteghlal FC | Sepahan FC | 23.08.2026 | 2-0 |
| Persian Gulf Pro League | Nassaji Mazandaran | Esteghlal FC | 18.08.2026 | 0-1 |
| Persian Gulf Pro League | Esteghlal FC | Mes Shahr-e Babak | 14.08.2026 | 4-0 |
| Persian Gulf Pro League | Esteghlal FC | Fajr Sepasi | 27.02.2026 | 2-1 |
| Persian Gulf Pro League | Mes Rafsanjan | Esteghlal FC | 22.02.2026 | 0-1 |
Al-Gharafa's sample from the same period is rougher: 5 wins, 6 draws and 9 losses, with 28 scored but 35 let in. Their last five games have brought just one point, with four defeats in that stretch.
Esteghlal head into this one with the better recent numbers by a distance.
Comparative Team Statistics: Al-Gharafa vs Esteghlal FC
A slim head-to-head record
These two have only met once on record, back in September 2024, when Esteghlal won 3-0 at home in the AFC Champions League Elite. That's a single result from a different edition of the competition and doesn't tell us much on its own, but it's the only history between them.
| League | Home | Away | Date | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AFC Champions League Elite | Esteghlal FC | Al-Gharafa | 16.09.2024 | 3-0 |
Early days in this year's group stage
After one round of this campaign, Esteghlal sit second with three points from a 3-0 win, while Al-Gharafa are down in twelfth having lost 2-1. It's only one match each, so it's a small sample, but it fits the wider pattern of Esteghlal in control and Al-Gharafa searching for consistency.
| № | Team | Played | Win | Draw | Loss | GF/GA | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Region | |||||||
| 1 | Al Ain | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4/0 | 3 |
| 2 | Esteghlal FC | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3/0 | 3 |
| 3 | Al-Qadisiyah FC | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2/1 | 3 |
| 4 | Al-Hilal Saudi FC | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2/1 | 3 |
| 5 | Shabab Al Ahli Dubai | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1/0 | 3 |
| 6 | Neftchi | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1/0 | 3 |
| 7 | Al-Ittihad FC | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1/1 | 1 |
| 8 | Al Shamal | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1/1 | 1 |
| 9 | Pakhtakor | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1/1 | 1 |
| 10 | Al-Ahli Jeddah | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1/1 | 1 |
| 11 | Al-Wasl FC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1/2 | 0 |
| 12 | Al-Gharafa | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1/2 | 0 |
| 13 | Al Quwa Al Jawiya | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0/1 | 0 |
| 14 | Tractor Sazi | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0/1 | 0 |
| 15 | Al Sadd | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0/3 | 0 |
| 16 | Al-Nassr | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0/4 | 0 |
Notes from the opening matchday
J. Asani was involved in both goals for Esteghlal in their opening win, scoring one and setting up another, while M. Eslami also picked up an assist. For Al-Gharafa, A. Hassan got their goal in defeat, but I. Bennacer picked up a red card in that same match. There's no confirmation on whether that carries any consequence for this fixture, but it's worth keeping an eye on.
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Squad lists and player details
Squad and player details
| Name | Country | Age | Position | Height | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A. Ounas | Algeria | 29 | Midfielder | 172 cm | 65 kg |
| Y. Brahimi | Algeria | 36 | Forward | 173 | 71 |
| F. Sassi | Tunisia | 34 | Midfielder | 186 | 77 |
| I. Bennacer | Algeria | 28 | Midfielder | 175 | 70 |
| M. Holgate | England | 29 | Defender | 187 | 82 |
| Jang Hyun-Soo | Korea Republic | 35 | Defender | 187 | 85 |
| Khalifa Ababacar | Qatar | 37 | Goalkeeper | 205 | 93 |
| Dame Traoré | Qatar | 40 | Defender | 190 | 96 |
| Amro Abdelfatah Ali Surag | Qatar | 28 | Midfielder | 168 | 60 |
| Mostafa Essam | Qatar | 24 | 172 | 70 | |
| F. Coman | Romania | 28 | Attacker | 181 | 72 |
| Abdulrahman Faiz Al Rashidi | Qatar | 32 | n/a | n/a | |
| F. Magri | France | 27 | Attacker | 178 | 75 |
| Álvaro Djaló | Spain | 27 | Forward | 175 | 73 |
| F. Díaz | Uruguay | 23 | Midfielder | 179 | 76 |
| Mahmood Gamal | Egypt | 24 | Goalkeeper | n/a | n/a |
| Yousef Saaed Ahmed | Qatar | 23 | Attacker | 183 | 78 |
| Saifeldeen Hassan Fadlalla | Qatar | 23 | 189 | 85 | |
| Chalpan Abdulnasir | Qatar | 23 | Defender | 183 | 62 |
| A. Hassan | Israel | 26 | 180 | 80 |
| Name | Country | Age | Position | Height | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R. Cheshmi | Iran | 33 | 194 | 86 | |
| J. Asani | Albania | 31 | 175 | 69 | |
| M. Azadi | Iran | 27 | 188 | n/a | |
| A. Aghasi | Iran | 29 | 184 | 88 | |
| A. Koushki | Iran | 26 | 170 | n/a | |
| H. Far Abbasi | Iran | 29 | 189 | 89 | |
| R. Ashurmatov | Uzbekistan | 30 | 186 | 85 | |
| J. Masharipov | Uzbekistan | 33 | 173 | 73 | |
| Saleh Hardani | Iran | 27 | 176 | n/a | |
| S. Fallah | Iran | 25 | 191 | 80 | |
| M. Eslami | Iran | 25 | 175 | n/a | |
| M. Ahmadi | Iran | 28 | 175 | n/a | |
| S. Touranian | Iran | 24 | 177 cm | n/a | |
| H. Goudarzi | Iran | 25 | 181 | n/a | |
| S. Saharkhizan | Iran | 23 | 180 | 77 | |
| A. Zoleikhaei | Iran | 20 | 174 | n/a | |
| A. Razzaghinia | Iran | 20 | 186 | n/a | |
| A. Zamani | Iran | 20 | 185 | n/a | |
| E. Saitmuratov | Iran | 20 | n/a | n/a | |
| S. Hosseinifar | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Esteghlal come into this with the stronger recent record and a tidy defence behind them, while Al-Gharafa are still searching for their footing after a rough patch. That contrast points one way on the balance of form.
Without a market to weigh up though, we're not making a pick here. The early standings and thin head-to-head simply aren't enough on their own to build a confident case either way.
Who will win?
