Al Sadd managed to pull another result out of the hat in Riyadh with Afif as their difference maker yet again.
They were made to work, but somehow, they did it. That sentence sums up Al Sadd’s AFC Champions League Elite campaign so far; their last-minute winner on Monday against a tough Al Nassr side to win 2-1 stands as yet another proof.
It was a familiar face rising to the occasion too. Akram Afif pounced on perhaps the first realistic chance that Al Sadd got in the match, which came through a counter-attack in the second half.
It was, in many ways, indicative of how the match panned out. Al Nassr were dominant at home in Al-Awwal Park – with more than 73 percent possession – and the visitors were the ones chasing the game.
Al Sadd have been put into those situations in this campaign and like the previous one, they managed to get points out and get through to the next round. Same was the case against defending champions Al Ain on the opening day, as well as the home fixture against Persepolis and recently, Saudi champions Al Hilal.
“There was no difference in the tactics from the Al Hilal game,” Afif said on Monday. “We adhered to the coach’s tactics and achieved an important win victory at an important stage.”
It did not come without some drama, again. Romain Saiss, one of Al Sadd’s standout performers in recent matches and their resilient guard of the night, ended up scoring in his net while trying to clear Wesley’s low cross with just ten minutes of regular time left.
Al Sadd conceding at a vital time left everyone wondering if this was the night they’d finally suffer their first defeat of the campaign with Al Nassr now beginning to find spaces in Al Sadd’s defence. But Felix Sanchez’s tactics’ plot worked, as it had for most minutes. By the end, it was the other way around – Al Sadd were at an advantage.
It took the last kick of the game, a penalty for Al Sadd to win, with Afif the man making it happen again. The two-time AFC Asian Player of the Year won a foul inside the Al Nassr box to earn the winning penalty and gave it to new signing Adam Ounas, who then brought joy to the travelling contingent and ended Al Nassr’s unbeaten run.
“We defended when necessary in a distinctive way and capitalised on our opportunities with the attacking approach we wanted,” Sanchez commented on his tactical plot after the win that has made them the first Qatari side to advance.
“We approach every match independently. Each team we face plays differently, and we take the AFC Champions League (ACLE) one match at a time. The team has consistently shown strong character throughout the tournament by adapting to different opponents.”
Al Rayyan’s woes continue
If Al Sadd are clutch, Al Rayyan are the “almost” team of Qatari football at present.
Younes Ali’s side played a 1-1 stalemate at the Zabeel Stadium on Monday, helped by an own goal from Al Wasl’s Salem Al Azeezi, in a game they struggled to transform the squad’s quality into results yet again.
Despite having an attack-heavy line-up studded with the likes of Achraf Bencharki, Roger Guedes and Mahmoud Trezeguet, the side was outnumbered by the UAE-based club, who managed to hit seven more shots, while having more possession throughout.
Al Rayyan were kept in the tie by their goalkeeper Paulo Vitor, who pulled off a string of saves to keep the Ooredoo Stars League side in the tie. But the home team eventually got the breakthrough with Caio Candeo hitting the target in the 77th minute.
They were helped to an equalizer just eight minutes later in a match that seemed blunt at either ends, with both coaches accepting the draw as a satisfactory outcome.
“It keeps our chances alive to qualify for the last 16, we have two decisive matches left to play,” Al Rayyah coach Ali said after the game. Al Rayyan currently have five points on board and are seventh on the table.
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