The ten men of Iran showed their composure as they secured a 5-3 penalty shootout win over Syria. Mehdi Taremi was sent off in second-half stoppage time, but Team Melli held their nerve when it mattered. 

Iran started brightly striker Alireza Jahanbakhsh with a perfect pass to Sardar Azmoun, but his first shot well saved, and the subsequent rebound fell to the AS Roma man who snatched the opportunity at the second time of asking. Team Melli bossed the early exchanges racking up 84% possession. 

Syria was holding firm defensively in what was a clear gameplan from coach Hector Cuper on a rare foray forward Ibrahim Hesar sloppily shot over the bar. At the other end Iran looked dynamic in attack, winger Mehdi Ghayedi launched a skipping shot which was gladfully grabbed by Syrian keeper Ahmad Madania. This was quickly followed up with a sweet volley from Team Melli captain Ehsan Hajsafi, again the effort was saved and then gathered by Madania. 

A lapse of concentration from Syria handed Iran the opener. A mistimed barge from Aiham Ousou pulled down Mehdi Taremi in the box leaving the referee with little choice but to award the penalty. The FC Porto attacker stepped up and calmly slotted home. Iran grew in confidence after the goal and began the second half on the front foot, Azmoun guilty of wasting three clear chances within five minutes. The first two quick-fire chances which saw him one-on-one with Ahmad Madania, the Syrian keeper saved the first effort but Azmoun quickly followed up, luckily Aiham Ousou headed the ball off the line to keep his nation in the contest. 

Completely against the run of play, Syria found parity from the penalty spot. Colombian-born Pablo Sabbag just beat the offside trap and poked the ball past Iranian keeper Alireza Beiranvand who sythed the Syrian down in the box. After an extensive VAR review, the penalty was eventually given to the joy of the Syrain fans at the Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium. Syria captain Omar Khribin held his nerve to roll the ball down the centre. 

Iran had all of the ball but it wasn't clicking in the final third. The closest they came in 90 minutes to take the lead was when a passing move fell to Ali Gholizadeh, but his fierce drive was well saved by Ahmad Madania. The complexion of the contest changed in stoppage time when Iranian goalscorer Mehdi Taremi picked up a second yellow. Syria surged forward but couldn't make their numerical advantage count in the ten minutes of second-half stoppage time. 

Nerves played a major part in extra-time as neither side wanted to fail, and so penalties settled the contest. It had to happen to someone and that fell to Syria's  Fahad Youssef who saw his tame penalty saved. Iran remained perfect, and that confidence showed as captain Ehsan Hajsafi slammed his spot-kick into the top corner to set up a blockbuster quarter-final with Japan.