Match Report
16 points for Qatar (1st), 23 for Iran (1st): a 7-point gap. Qatar's recent output lagged their position: 43rd on form over five rounds while 1st in the table. Per game in the league, Qatar were scoring 3 and conceding 0.5, Iran 1.9 and 0.8, against a competition average of 1.4 goals per team per game.
Defeat had not touched Iran in 12 games. Qatar had banked 5 of the last 15 points on offer; Iran, 13.
Across 9 recorded meetings, Qatar have 2 wins to Iran's 6, with 1 draw, at 3.56 goals per meeting. History gives the home side just 33% of the wins in this matchup. History points to goals: 78% of the meetings had three or more, and both sides scored in 67%.
The match was played at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha (capacity 20,000). On the scoreboard, Qatar led 1-0 at the break, and no goals arrived after the restart: 1-0 the final score.