After losing the first leg 1–0 at home in Tehran, the Iranian side responded with a disciplined and effective performance on the road. Ali Gholizadeh opened the scoring in the 15th minute to level the tie on aggregate.
Esteghlal then struck twice late in the match, with substitute Nazon making an immediate impact by scoring in the 82nd minute, before Asani added the third goal in the 87th minute to seal the win.
The result confirmed Esteghlal’s qualification from Group A as the second-placed team with eight points, finishing behind Al-Wasl of the UAE, who advanced as group winners with 14 points.
Al-Muharraq finished third in the group with seven points, while Jordan’s Al-Wehdat ended the group stage in fourth place with four points.
Esteghlal now move on to the next round, where they are expected to face stronger opponents, including high-profile clubs such as Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr, a team boasting global stars like Cristiano Ronaldo.