Al Sadd players celebrate after skipper Xavi Hernandez scored their opening goal against Uzbekistan’s Pakhtakor during their AFC Champions League Group D match played at the Al Sadd Stadium, yesterday.
Goals from Xavi and Baghdad Bounedjah earned Qatar’s Al Sadd a hard-fought 2-1 home victory over Uzbekistan’s Pakhtakor in the AFC Champions League Group D match yesterday.
The two teams had played out a 2-2 draw a fortnight ago in Tashkent and a single point separated them before kick-off, as Pakhtakor topped the group with five points.
Al Sadd needed just 10 minutes to take the lead through Xavi who, just as in the previous game, curled a free-kick into the top corner of Sanjar Kuvvatov net.
Dostonbek Khamdamov had a golden chance to equalise for Pakhtakor when Egor Krimets’ cross found him in space inside the Al Sadd box. Khamdamov volleyed from close range, but his ball passed just wide of the upright.
Farrukh Sayfiev crossed for Marat Bikmaev whose header was tipped over the bar by Saad Al Sheeb in the 29th minute.
Just a minute later, Pakhtakor got their equaliser. Khamdamov’s in-swinging cross was nodded on by Sherzod Azamov into the path of Krimets at the far post and the Pakhtakor captain headed it into the back of the net to draw his side level at the half-hour mark.
Xavi nearly scored his third free-kick in two matches in the 75th minute. The Spanish midfielder rifled from 30 yards out, but Kuvvatov stretched to make the save at the top corner.
Two minutes later, the Uzbek goalkeeper was again well-positioned to deny Xavi. This time the Al Sadd captain received Al Haydos’ pass inside the box and fired but Kuvvatov punched the ball away to safety, keeping his side in the game once again.
The winning goal for Al Sadd came three minutes before the end of the 90 through Bounedjah.
Al Sadd top Group D with this victory, which takes their tally to seven points.
Elsewhere, in Abu Dhabi, Al Rayyan went down fighting to Al Wahda in a seven-goal thriller in their Group B match yesterday.
Leonardo was the star of the show, netting all four goals for Al Wahda as they came from behind to defeat Al Rayyan 4-3.
The visitors came racing off the blocks and were in front within 120 seconds through Sebastian Soria.
The former Qatari international striker evaded his marker inside the box and headed home from Rodrigo Tabata’s free-kick to hand Al Rayyan an early lead.
Buoyed by the goal, Gilson de Souza’s men continued to push forward and were rewarded for their attacking intent with a second goal in the sixth minute.
Left-back Mohammed Jumaa crossed for Gelmin Rivas and the Venezuelan’s header was blocked by Al Wahda defender Ahmed Rashid. The ball, however, fell to Rivas who hit it first-time into the bottom corner for his third goal of the 2019 AFC Champions League.
Al Wahda’s response was instant, pulling one back through Leonardo in the eighth minute.
With three goals inside the first eight minutes, the game continued at a fast pace. Rim Chang-woo and Sebastian Tagliabue missed chances for Al Wahda over the following 10 minutes before the fourth goal of the first half arrived.
Jumaa intercepted a poor defensive clearance from Al Wahda and supplied the ball to Koh Myong-jin whose cross on the volley found Rivas at the far post. The former Al Hilal and Al Ittihad striker applied the finish to make it 3-1 to Al Rayyan midway through the opening half.
There was more of the same in the second half and it was Al Wahda who scored the next goal in this attacking festival.
Leonardo pounced on a loose ball inside the box, cutting inside into his left and drilled home his fifth strike of the competition, making it 3-2 in the 56th minute.
Eight minutes from time, Leonardo completed his hat-trick, tapping in from point-blank after Tagliabue had fed the ball to Khalil Ibrahim down the right to cross low for the Brazilian who was left with the easiest of finishes to bring Al Wahda level.
The former Al Ahli winger still had more tricks up his sleeve, snatching the winner and his fourth of the night in the last minute.
