Al Sadd's Akram Afif (left) controls the ball during the match.
Doha, Qatar: Al Hilal scored once in each half to beat hosts Al Sadd 2-0 in their AFC Champions League (ACL) Elite match at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium yesterday, handing the Qatari champions their second straight defeat.
Ollie Watkins opened the scoring in the 40th minute before Ruben Neves converted a penalty in the 65th minute to seal a second consecutive victory for Simone Inzaghi’s Saudi side, who beat Al Gharafa in their opening match.
For Razvan Lucescu’s Al Sadd, the defeat followed a 3-0 loss to Iran’s Esteghlal FC in their continental opener.
“It was a tough match, and we were unlucky not to score. In such matches, we must take advantage of our opportunities,” Lucescu said after the defeat.
“We are not at our best right now, but we have the potential to perform better in the upcoming matches,” the Romanian coach added.
“We will fight again and work to return to the path of victories,” Lucescu said.
Al Hilal dominated the early exchanges as Al Sadd struggled to find their rhythm in front of their home fans. Mohamed Kanno forced a save from goalkeeper Meshaal Barsham with a seventh-minute header, while Gabriel Martinelli had an effort blocked.
Al Sadd responded with Agustin Soria testing Al Hilal goalkeeper Yassine Bounou from outside the box in the 11th minute. Sultan Mandash fired narrowly wide for the visitors before Claudinho sent his effort over the bar two minutes later following a pass from Akram Afif.
Neves and Kanno continued to trouble the hosts, who came close to taking the lead after the half-hour mark when Mohammad Al Manai’s effort from a difficult angle struck the left post.
Al Hilal went ahead five minutes before half-time when Watkins scored with a sliding touch from close range. The forward had been brought down by Soria, but the referee played advantage and allowed the move to continue.
Al Sadd pressed after the restart but struggled to create clear chances. Al Hilal came close to extending their lead when Mandash failed to connect effectively with Martinelli’s cross.
The visitors doubled their advantage in the 65th minute when Neves converted a penalty into the bottom-left corner after Paulo Otavio handled the ball while attempting to block Watkins’ effort.
Al Sadd were dealt another blow when Barsham went off injured, with Saad Al Sheeb replacing him. Lucescu also introduced Giovani for Hashim Ali and Mohamed Camara for Soria.
Bounou then denied Al Manai with a save from a threatening strike aimed at the top-left corner. Al Hilal players appealed for a penalty following an apparent foul by Boualem Khoukhi, but a VAR review did not result in a spot-kick.
Theo Hernández struck the left post, while Sergej Milinkovic-Savic tested Al Sheeb as Al Hilal maintained their dominance to preserve their perfect start.
Al Sadd will look to bounce back against Saudi Arabia’s Al Qadsiah Club in Dammam on October 26, while Al Hilal face Al Shamal at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor the following day.
Al Shamal’s discipline
pleases Prats
Head coach David Prats believes Al Shamal SC showed they can compete against the continent’s best after seeing his side hold Tractor FC to a goalless draw in the AFC Champions League Elite on Monday.
The result earned Al Shamal a second consecutive draw in their debut campaign, while Iran's Tractor picked up their first League Stage point.
“It was a tough encounter against a big, strong team boasting high-calibre players. However, we succeeded in neutralising their key threats and delivered an outstanding performance; the players showed great spirit and gave their all, despite the high temperatures,” said Prats.
“We had a few chances that we could have capitalised on better, but overall, I am satisfied with the team's performance and the result. The Al Shamal players performed positively and with great spirit against a quality side and a strong competitor from the Iranian league.”
(AFC)
