Al Ahli held to 2-2 draw by FK Arkadag

Doha, Qatar: A resurgent FK Arkadag came from behind to force a 2-2 draw with hosts Al Ahli SC in their AFC Champions League Two Group B clash at the Al Thumama Stadium yesterday.

Defender Matej Mitrovic’s header and a thunderous strike by Michel Vlap were cancelled out by Bayram Atayev and Saparow Mekan, with the result placing Igor Biscan’s men on three points, two behind Bahrain’s Al Khaldiya SC. Turkmenistan’s Arkadag anchor the table with two points.

A fast-paced opening 15 minutes saw Arkadag keeper Rasul Charryev under pressure from Erik Expósito, whose shot from outside the area curled left over the bar, and Sekou Yansane, who tried to squeeze the ball in from a tight angle on the right.

Yansane then went around the opposing defence but saw his shot crash against the bar after taking a deflection off Arzuvguly Sapargulyyev while former German international Julian Draxler saw his 20-yard free-kick pushed away.

The home side’s pressing paid off four minutes before the break when Michel Vlap’s free-kick found Mitrovic, whose powerful header hit the left post and rolled into the bottom corner beyond the reach of a flat-footed Charryev.

Al Ahli’s domination was such that AFC Challenge League 2024/25 winners Arkadag failed to land a single shot on target, and instead spent the entire first half on the back foot.

The Qatar side’s Marwan Sherif pulled off his first save three minutes into the second half when he tipped over Gurbanow Yazgylyc’s curling 30-yard shot from the right.

Al Ahli got back to business in the 56th minute when Vlap let fly an unstoppable shot from the edge of the area that hit the bar and went behind a diving Charryev.

Arkadag narrowed the gap in the 79th minute when Bayram Atayev, who had come on three minutes earlier, was gifted the ball from Gurbanow Yazgylyc’s failed attempt at goal and drove home from close range past Sherif, who reacted too slowly to his presence.

Sherif conceded again when Mämmedow Brayym’s header placed the ball at Mekan’s feet, who then shook off his marker to stab it home one minute into time added on.

The two teams face off in the reverse fixture on November 5 at Arkadag Stadium.