Al Ahli (KSA) 1 (Al Amri 90+3’)
Al Ain 2 (Douglas 25’, 79’)
Man of the match: Douglas (Al Ain)
Douglas scored either side of half time for Al Ain to emerge 2-1 winners over Al Ahli of Saudi Arabia to improve their chances of progressing beyond the group stages of this year’s Asian Champions League.
The Brazilian striker headed in a cross from Mohammed Ahmed for a 25th-minute lead and hammered a shot from inside the area from an assist by substitute Danilo Asprilla 11 minutes from time to give the visitors a two-goal cushion. The home side pulled one back in added time through Saleh Al Amri at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah on Tuesday.
The result moved Al Ain up to second in Group D on six points, four points behind leaders El Jaish of Qatar, who played out a 0-0 draw away in Uzbekistan to Nasaf Qarshi. Ahli are bottom on three points.
Omar Abdulrahman, as he usually is, was instrumental in Al Ain’s attacks, the UAE playmaker’s ball out wide to Ahmed allowed for an inviting cross comfortably dispatched by Douglas.
It could have been more if not for some solid work from Yasser Al Mosailem, the Ahli goalkeeper, who pushed a powerfully struck shot from Abdulrahman over the bar and blocked Lee Myong-joo’s effort.
The home side improved after the break. They pressed hard Al Ain but failed to break a well-organised defence marshaled by Ismail Ahmed and Mohanad Salem.
Asprilla’s effort crashed against the far post on the 71st minute as Al Ain looked to increase their lead before the late drama of Douglas’s second and Ahli’s equaliser
Meanwhile, in Wednesday’s action, Al Nasr can move a step closer to booking a place in the last 16 as they play host to Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia.
Nasr top Group A with six points from three games, and although victory Wednesday will not seal their qualification it would put them in a strong position with only two group games remaining.
Al Jazira must win Wednesday at Al Hilal to realistically keep their hopes alive of reaching the knockout stages.
The Abu Dhabi side have only one point from their first three Group C games, and Henk ten Cate’s side have no margin for error in Saudi Arabia if they hope to keep alive their hopes in this competition.
Defeat will ensure they cannot finish in the top two, while a draw would keep them in it, though they would need to win their remaining two games, against Tractor Sazi and Pakhtakor, and hope other results go their way to reach the last 16.
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