Al Sadd's Claudinho (right) vies for the ball during the match.
Doha, Qatar: Goalkeeper Meshaal Barsham produced a string of impressive saves as Al Sadd held defending champions Al Ahli Saudi FC to a goalless draw in the AFC Champions League Elite at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium yesterday.
Al Sadd, who were chasing their first victory in the competition, had to rely on Barsham’s brilliance to deny the visitors, particularly in the closing stages, as both teams shared the points.
The result left Al Sadd with two points from four matches, making their task of reaching the knockout stage increasingly difficult. Al Ahli, meanwhile, moved to eight points as they continued their bid for a third consecutive title.
Knowing they needed a win, Al Sadd looked to take early control, with Roberto Firmino seeing his effort from outside the box blocked.
Claudinho also tested Al Ahli goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, who produced a fine save to tip his long-range effort over the bar.
Al Ahli grew into the contest after the half-hour mark, but Barsham kept out Roger Ibanez’s close-range header before denying Galeno as the first half ended.
The Saudi side made a fast start after the break, with Ivan Toney going close twice and Ibanez firing wide from distance. Al Sadd responded through Firmino and Giovani, but Mendy was equal to their efforts.
Barsham remained the busier of the two goalkeepers, making crucial interventions after Paulo Otavio deflected a goal-bound effort from Eduard Spertsyan to prevent Al Ahli from taking the lead.
The Al Sadd goalkeeper then denied Matheus Gonçalves twice, in the 84th minute and stoppage time, while also keeping out Ibrahima Diaby’s header four minutes from time to preserve the draw.
Al Qadsiah players celebrate as Al Gharafa’s Ayoub Al-Oui reacts after conceding a goal.
Later at At Thani Bin Jassim Stadium, Saudi Arabia’s Al Qadsiah compounded Al Gharafa’s woes with a 5-0 rout, scoring four goals in a dominant first half to hand Pedro Martins’ side their fourth consecutive defeat.
Mohammed Abu Al Shamat opened the scoring in the 17th minute before Julian Quinones doubled the lead nine minutes later.
Yasser Al Shahrani made it 3-0 in the 43rd minute, and Quinones struck again in the 45th to complete his brace.
Mohammed Al Qahtani added the fifth in the 81st minute to cap a comprehensive victory.
Al Shamal seek to build on Al Hilal triumph
Al Shamal SC will look to build on their memorable victory over Saudi giants Al Hilal when they face Iran’s Esteghlal FC in the AFC Champions League Elite in Basra today.
Al Shamal stunned Al Hilal 3-1 in their previous match, earning their first victory in the competition and taking their tally to five points after opening their campaign with two draws.
Coach David Prats, however, warned his players against dwelling on that result, stressing the importance of maintaining their focus against Esteghlal.
“It was a very important victory against one of the best teams on the continent, but the Al Hilal match is now in the past and we must think about what is coming next,” the Spanish coach said.
Prats acknowledged that the tight schedule had limited his team’s preparation, with matches in the continental competition and the Qatari league coming in quick succession.
“The preparation for the match was not ideal due to the pressure of matches within a short period of time, but we have to deal with reality and play with our well-known mentality,” he said.
“It is not easy to play a match every three days. We don’t want to look for excuses, we just need to adapt, and with great desire and ambition we can achieve our goals,” he added.
Esteghlal, meanwhile, will be looking to bounce back after suffering their first defeat of the campaign, a 2-0 loss to UAE’s Shabab Al Ahli. The Iranian side had won their opening two matches and will be eager to return to winning ways.
