The Iranian football team Persepolis has lost 3-1 to its Saudi Arabian host Al-Ittihad in their first match of the AFC Champions League 2011, Press TV reported.
The Saudis beat the Iranian host 3-1 in Group C on Wednesday at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium in Jeddah.
In the first half of the match, the hosts started to impress Persepolis, and in the 13th minute, the Saudi striker Abdelmalek Ziaya escaped offside and shot the ball into the right top of the Iranian team's goal.
But the Iranian side was able to equalize after they earned a free kick. Maziar Zare's shot was flying out, but the Saudi defender changed the ball's direction into their own goal to settle the first half with a 1-1 draw.
In the second time, it was al-Ittihad who scored again at the 50th minute on a penalty kick by Mohammad Noor.
Persepolis's attempts to level the game in the second time were hopeless, and it was in the 79th minute when Ziaya scored once more, finishing the Iranian club in their first Asian game this season.
In another match of Group C, al-Wahda was held 1-1 against Uzbekistan's Bonyad Kaar in Abu Dhabi.
Now al-Ittihad leads In Group C with 3 points, followed by Bunyodkor and al-Wahda with one point each, and Persepolis sits last with zero points.
Persepolis, the best supported club in Iran, is taking part in the AFC Champions League for just the third time. They won Iran's Hazfi Cup last year.
On Tuesday, Iranian league champion Sepahan defeated Saudi giant al-Hilal in their first match of the AFC Champions League 2011.
The Iranians defeated the host 2-1 at King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh. The victory put Sepahan atop Group A with three points, two ahead of al-Jazira and al-Gharafa, which played to a goalless draw in Abu Dhabi.
Earlier in the day, another Iranian team Esteqlal was held to a 1-1 draw against al-Sadd of Qatar in their Group B opener at Tehran's Azadi Stadium.