Talismanic striker Younis Mahmoud was on target but also missed a penalty as Iraq overcame a stubborn Palestine 2-0 on Tuesday to set up an Asian Cup quarterfinal with old rival Iran.
The 2007 champions were not at their best but goals by Mahmoud and a late second from Ahmed Yaseen sent them through from Group D as runners-up behind defending champion Japan, which made it three wins out of three by beating Jordan 2-0 in Melbourne.
Mahmoud's 48th-minute header was only Iraq's second goal in the tournament and its disjointed attack, which struggled to penetrate the tournament's leakiest backline, will need to improve against a mean Iranian defense which has yet to concede.