Iran’s Persepolis, Japan's Kashima prepare for first leg of ACL finals

Iran’s Persepolis have been preparing to play against the Kashima Antlers in the 1st leg of their AFC Champions League final in the Japanese city of Kashima.

According to Press TV, the Red army have sealed their spot in the final after defeating Qatari side Al-Sadd 2-1 on aggregate. With 5 goals to his name, Ali Alipour is Branko Ivankovic’s top marksman and his pace on the break will pose a threat to Kashima.

Goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand will also be looking to shine again after making super saves against Al-Sadd in the 2nd leg of the semi-finals at the tournament.

Meanwhile, the Japanese club have already appeared in 6 editions of the AFC Champions League, prior to their current campaign. They advanced to the knockout rounds 5 times, since 2008, but have failed to go beyond that. 

ME