TEHRAN, March 5 (Xinhua) -- Qatar's Al Duhail and Esteghlal of Iran will meet in their opening 2019 AFC Champions League Group C match at the Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium on Tuesday.
Al Duhail were one of the stories of the 2018 season, as the Doha side went on a nine-game winning run to equal Ulsan Hyundai's record set in 2012. They exited at the last eight stage, however, after Iranian side Persepolis dealt them a first defeat in the second leg of their quarterfinal tie.
The 2017-18 Qatar Stars League champions currently sit second in their domestic league and go into their continental opener off the back of a 6-0 victory over Al Ahli last week.
Esteghlal, who will be without the suspended Roozbeh Cheshmi, also reached the quarterfinals in 2018 before elimination at the hands of another Qatari side, Al Sadd, and they return for a third year in a row after winning the 2017-18 Hazfi Cup.
The Tehran side have won three games in a row and sit fourth in the Iran Pro League, with last week's 3-1 victory over Foolad Khuzestan continuing their fine recent run of form.
