Al-Ahli of Saudi Arabia has already booked its place in Round of 16 and the second ticket to this stage will have to be decided on Matchday Six.

Both sides went into the game needing a win to join group leader Al-Ahli into the next round, with Al-Shorta holding a three-point lead, but having played a game more.

Following a Mohammed Mezher corner, Mazin Fayyadh climbed unmarked inside the box, powering a header towards goal, but Seyed Hossein Hosseini made a quality reflex save to deny Al Shorta their opening goal inside the first 10 minutes.

Fayyadh was the danger man again five minutes later, the winger advanced through the heart of Esteghlal’s midfield and tried his luck with a left-footed effort from outside the box. Marwan Hussein tried to pounce on Hosseini’s spilled save, but defender Roozbeh Cheshmi was first to the ball and made the clearance.

Al Shorta’s number 14 finally got his goal in the 25th minute. Fayyadh lost his marker once again and guided his header from Ali Fayez’s corner kick into the bottom far corner of Hosseini’s goal to open the scoring for Al Shorta.

Substitute Amir Arsalan Motahari equalized the match in the 68th minute.

The result means Esteghlal needs to defeat Al-Ahli by two clear goals on Matchday Six, while a 1-0 win for the Iranians would mean they have an identical goal-difference to Al Shorta and the two sides would have to be separated by their disciplinary record.

Al-Shorta’s hopes of qualification now relies on Esteghlal losing its next game.

A win for the Baghdad-based side or a score draw with more than a goal will be enough to seal progress to the knock-out stage; a feat no Iraqi team in the history of the AFC Champions League has achieved.

Al Shorta beat Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ahli in its Matchday Four fixture to move up to second, but having drawn Esteghlal 1-1 at home in its opening match, losing to the Iranian team on Sunday will leave them bottom of the group, as will a goalless draw should Esteghlal manage to beat Al-Ahli in the final match of the group.

“This match is a crossroads for both teams. I had previously said this match is the decider and we simply have to win it to avoid waiting for the last game,” said a defiant Shahd.

“We can make history and become the first Iraqi team to reach the Round of 16 and this is the objective for all of us. The group permutations are a bit complicated; we know that if we draw, Al-Ahli will have the top spot secured and might field a weakened team against Esteghlal on Matchday Six, so we want to stay away from these permutations and focus on winning the next game.”

Al-Shorta welcome back Iraqi international right-back Alaa Mhawi from suspension. The 24-year-old had been sent off in the Matchday Three fixture against Al-Ahli, but coach Shahd will be without the services of talismanic midfielder Mohammad Qassim who suffered an injury in the previous match.

“Mhawi is one of the options available to us again, but we focus on playing as a team, rather on individual players. As for Qassim, he is a talented player who offers us a lot of individual solutions, missing him is a blow to our team, but I have faith in all players in my squad,” Shahd concluded.