DOHA (Qatar): Junior Negrao scored a double as Ulsan Hyundai beat Iran’s Persepolis 2-1 in the the AFC Champions League final here on Saturday.
The South Korean giants also achieved the feat in record fashion, winning their ninth consecutive match in the tournament to equal their winning streak of 2012 when they won the title for the first time.
While Ulsan had played eight games in 23 days in Doha before Saturday’s final, Persepolis had three weeks off and only arrived in Qatar a few days ago.
Champions in 2012, Ulsan Hyundai came into the final with the momentum of an impressive run of eight consecutive wins.
Meanwhile, 2018 runners-up Persepolis boasted a mean defence that had conceded just two goals since the competition’s resumption in October, with both being penalties.
Negrao nearly added to his five goals in the 2020 AFC Champions League after finding space inside the box to head Kim Tae-hwan’s cross from the right, but under pressure from his marker, the Brazilian sent his header high over the crossbar.
The outpouring of Korean attacks continued with Yoon testing Hamed Lak from distance with a powerful left-footed strike, but the Persepolis goalkeeper was able to punch it away. (Source: AFC)
