Al Ahli players celebrate during the match.
Doha, Qatar: Al Ahli SC defeated PFC Andijon 2-0 at Al Thumama Stadium to book their AFC Champions League Two Round of 16 berth yesterday.
The win meant the Qatari side topped Group B with 10 points while their beaten opponents from Uzbekistan were eliminated.
Al Ahli had the better start with Erik Exposito testing Eldor Adkhamov with a curling low shot from distance before the Andijon custodian saved Sekou Yansane’s effort after he had been teed up by Julian Draxler.
The home side opened the scoring in the 26th minute when midfielder Michel Vlap stretched his right leg to guide home Draxler’s enticing free-kick past a stranded Adkhamov.
Al Ahli had opportunities to take an even bigger lead into the break but efforts from Draxler and Exposito - with Adkhamov already beaten - struck the post before Abdurakhmon Komilov produced an excellent last-ditch challenge to stop Exposito.
The second half saw no change in the pattern of play with Al Ahli searching for the second goal with Driss Fettouhi firing a shot from distance which Adkhamov saved.
Affording Al Ahli shooting chances from range led to Andijon’s downfall in the 65th minute when Vlap had time and space to unleash a swerving shot that fizzed past Adkhamov.
Vlap had the opportunity to seal his hat-trick late on after being put through by Exposito, only to steer his attempt wide but the miss mattered little as Al Ahli earned a deserved victory.
