TEHRAN, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Hope is alive for Iran's Esteghlal to advance to the next stage of the AFC Champions League, coach Winfried Schaefer said.

Two weeks ago, the Blues suffered a 3-1 home 3-1 defeat at the hands of Al sadd in Tehran's Azadi Stadium.

"We must play with our passion, heart and belief right up until the end if we want to advance to the semifinals. We will play for the million fans of Esteghlal," Schaefer was quoted as saying by the Tehran Times.

"I was dreaming to get the best result in the first leg but we made so many mistakes in that match. Al Sadd have become stronger in the past three months. On the other hand, we have missed some key players but we'll keep fighting," he said.

"In football, everything is possible. We can change the result with our players' dedication and effort. I am no stranger to being in this condition," the German coach added.

Al Sadd will host Esteghlal at the Jassam bin Hamad Stadium on Monday in the second leg of the 2018 AFC Champions League quarterfinals.?