Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Al Ain: Al Ahli qualified for the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League for the first time after a remarkable 3-3 draw with fellow United Arab Emirates side Al Ain on Wednesday to advance via the away goals rule.
Having played out a goalless draw in last week’s first leg in Dubai, something had to give at the Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium, and it was former winners Al Ain who took an early lead after just four minutes through Ghanaian striker Asamoah Gyan.
But, making their first ever appearance in the Round of 16, the visitors came out all guns blazing after the restart and breached the hosts’ defence three times in six minutes, with defender Salmin Khamis’s header being followed up by a brace from captain Ahmed Khalil to put Cosmin Olaroiu’s side 3-1 to the good after 57 minutes.
Gyan then pulled one back for the home side with 12 minutes left on the clock before substitute Rashed Eisa equalised in stoppage-time to ensure a frantic final few seconds, but Al Ahli managed to hold out for the draw to ensure they take their place in the draw next month.
Disappointment for Dalic as UAE champions miss out on ACL glory
No time to rest on ACL laurels says Olaroiu as Al Ahli eye domestic trophy
Group B winners Al Ain started brightly and took the lead inside five minutes when defender Mohammed Fayez burst into the box from the left before squaring for Gyan, who took one touch before swirling and firing into the back of the net from seven yards for his fourth goal of the tournament.
The visitors had their first effort on target just before the half-hour mark when striker Khalil unleashed a powerful free-kick from fully 30 yards that forced home goalkeeper Khalid Eisa to parry to safety.
Needing to score, Al Ahli came out strongly after the restart and almost equalised in the 50th minute when Brazilian midfielder Everton Ribeiro drilled a fizzing effort from 20 yards that forced Eisa to save low to his left.
But a minute later the Group D runners-up did level the score when Chilean substitute Luis Jimenez sent in an inswinging corner from the left that was headed home by Khamis from inside the six yard box.
Having only conceded twice in seven AFC Champions League encounters going into the game, Al Ain’s backline was punctured again just two minutes later when a lovely through ball by Ribeiro found Khalil, who fired into the bottom right corner from just inside the right side of the penalty area.
Things went from bad to worse for the hosts in the 57th minute when the influential Ribeiro danced passed midfielder Omar Abdulrahman before his effort from outside the box was blocked by Eisa but Khalil was on hand to tap in the rebound from three yards to take his tally for the tournament to five.
Needing three goals without reply to advance to the last eight, Zlatko Dalic’s team were thrown a lifeline in the 78th minute when defender Mohamed Ahmed’s cross from the right was chested down by Gyan before he side-footed into the back of the from seven yards.
And with just seconds remaining, Abdulrahman played the ball into the feet of midfielder Eisa, who turned and drilled a left-foot effort from outside the box into the bottom left corner but it was too little too late as Al Ahli held out for the draw to qualify on away goals.
Photo: WSG