Asian Champions League: Al Wahda give up lead and a chance to improve lot with draw to Al Hilal

Al Wahda's Sebastian Tagliabue scores past Al Hilal's Osama Hawsawi during their Asian Champions League match at Al Nahyan Stadium in Abu Dhabi on March 14, 2017. Christopher Pike / The National

Al Wahda 2-2 Al Hilal

Wahda: Tagliabue 45’+1’, Dzsudzsak 54’

Hilal: Al Abid 5’, Al Khrbin 69’

Red card: Al Abid, Hilal 62’

ABU DHABI // Al Wahda manager Javier Aguirre has not ruled his team out of the Asian Champions League, even as they sit bottom of the Asian Champions League Group D following a 2-2 draw with 10-man Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia on Tuesday night at Al Nahyan stadium.

“We still have nine points to play for,” he said. “It is difficult but not impossible. We had an opportunity tonight but a few mistakes cost us full points. I think we can take some positives from this game after losing the first two.”

Nawaf Al Abid put Hilal ahead in the fifth minute and Sebastian Tagliabue struck the equaliser in added time of the first half. Balazs Dzsudzsak put Wahda in front early in the second half before Omar Al Khrbin levelled the score for the visitors fifteen minutes later.

However, it was a game Wahda could have won after leading 2-1 and playing the final 30 minutes a man up after Al Abid’s was sent off by referee Ryuji Sato for two yellow cards.

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“We must remember we were playing against a very strong opponent, but we still did well,” said Aguirre.

“They scored an early goal and we did well to come back and take the lead after making some positional changes in the second half. But we made some mistakes and that cost us the match.

“It’s a Champions League game and we can’t afford to make mistakes. When you do, like we have done in all our games, we get punished. We still don’t have the players at this level but they are learning.”

Hilal got off to a bright start. Al Abid slammed a left-footed shot from the centre of the box off a low cross from Mohammed Al Burayk five minutes into play.

When it looked as though the visitors would head to the break with that lead, Wahda struck from a counter-attack in added time. Mohammed Bargash sent a long ball which Tagliabue headed on the bounce inside the area before dispatching it to the bottom right.

The home side took the lead nine minutes after the break, when Dzsudzsak smashed a volley through the hands of Hilal goalkeeper Abdullah Al Muaiouf.

Down a man following Al Abid’s dismissal a few minutes later, Al Hilal levelled when Al Khrbin — who crossed over from UAE side Al Dhafra during the December transfer window — beat an offside trap to find the net.

“We scored at the start and took control of the whole first half,” said Ramon Diaz, the Hilal manager.

“We lost concentration in the middle, momentarily, and allowed Wahda to score the equaliser from a counter attack.

“The second half was an even contest despite we had to play the last half-hour with a player less. Still we managed match Wahda and were also able to create a few chances from which we could have scored one or two more goals.”

Hilal took their tally to five points in Group D nd are now in second place, a point behind leaders Al Rayyan of Qatar, who beat Iranian side Persepolis 3- on Monday in Doha. Wahda sit bottom with one point.

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