UAE's Al Ain maintained their perfect start in the AFC Champions League Elite league stage as they defeated Iranian side Tractor FC 2-1 at the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium on Monday.
Ramy Rabia opened the scoring for Al Ain in the 21st minute before Tibor Halilovic equalised for the visitors, who had to make an arduous journey to the UAE due to the prevailing travel issues, in the 55th. Houssine Rahimi then secured the victory for Al Ain with a 70th-minute winner.
It was the UAE team's third straight win, taking them to nine points from three matches and maintaining their perfect record and top position in Group B.
Al Ain coach Vladimir Ivic was proud of his team's performance.
“It was a very difficult match for both teams. We are satisfied with the three points, and I congratulate the players,” the Serbian coach said.
Al Ain next face Saudi Pro League giants Al Ittihad, who defeated Neftchi Fergana 2-1 on Monday.
Ivic said he was looking forward to the challenge.
“We will be playing against powerful football teams that possess very seasoned players, but we are ready to take on the challenge. We managed to claim three victories and we still have five matches to go,” he said.
Al Ain will be hoping star Moroccan forward Soufiane Rahimi, who missed the match after picking up a muscle injury during the 3-2 loss to Shabab Al Ahli in the President’s Cup, will be available soon.
“The image is not fully clear until now, and we are awaiting the final analysis,” Ivic said.
Al Ittihad fight back
Al Ittihad manager Jens Wissing lauded his team's resilience as they rallied to defeat Neftchi 2-1.
Youssef En-Neysri’s 90th minute strike secured victory after the match seemed destined for a draw.
“Big compliments to our opponents who made it difficult for us,” said Wissing.
“In the first half, we had a few problems in getting our attacking game going but we had more chances to score and make it an easier game.
“They also had their chances but overall, I’m very happy about the performance and the team did very well.”
Wissing said he did not want to look too much into the penalty which led to Neftchi taking the lead through Jamshid Iskanderov in the 17th minute.
“Mistakes can happen so we had to adapt a bit. It was not a big thing. The team stayed calm and remained focused on winning the game. We are always focused until the end,” the coach added.
Also, Brendan Rodgers lauded Al Qadsiah's fighting spirit after Julian Quinones struck late to secure a 1-1 draw against Al Sadd.
Al Sadd looked set for their first win when Akram Afif opened the scoring in the 74th minute but Quinones came to Al Qadsiah’s rescue.
“I’m proud of my players' performance. We faced a strong opponent, and our players put in a great effort,” said Rodgers.
“We created several chances that we didn't capitalise on, though we did manage to score one goal. Al Sadd also had their own opportunities, so I believe the result is fair."
