Hosts and holders Qatar squeezed into an Asian Cup final showdown with Jordan after beating Iran 3-2 with an 82nd-minute winner in a frenetic semi-final on Wednesday.
Almoez Ali struck in Doha to send Qatar into their second straight final, further exorcising the demons of their first-round exit at the 2022 World Cup.
But that was all a distant memory as they celebrated in front of over 40,000 fans after a breathless encounter at al-Thumama Stadium.
Sardar Azmoun gave Iran the lead in the fourth minute before Qatar equalized soon after when Jassem Gaber’s shot went in via a heavy deflection.
Qatar’s Akram Afif then notched his fifth goal of the tournament with a wonderful strike minutes before half-time, only for Iran to equalize through an Alireza Jahanbakhsh penalty early in the second period.
Iran had Shojae Khalilzadeh sent off in second-half injury time, before Jahanbakhsh hit the post in the final minute.
The game had barely begun when Azmoun gave Iran the lead with a well-taken finish, hooking the ball over his head and into the net.
Iran were incensed that no foul had been given in the build-up.
The equalizer gave Qatar new energy but Afif failed to take advantage in a one-on-one with Beiranvand just after the half-hour mark.
Afif made no mistake in the 43rd minute, curling home a superb strike after jinking his way into the box.
Iran regrouped at half-time and drew level just six minutes after the break.
A VAR check ruled that Qatar defender Ahmed Fatehi had blocked a goal-bound shot with his hand, and Jahanbakhsh made no mistake from the penalty spot.
The action continued at breakneck speed and Ali restored Qatar’s lead when he controlled a shot from Abdulaziz Hatem and turned it past Beiranvand.
There was more than a hint of offside about the goal but it was allowed to stand.
