Al Ahli Edge Shabab Al Ahli on Penalties to Reach Quarters the Two Teams Were Locked at 1-1 After Regulation and Extra Time Before Al Ahli Won 4-3 on Penalties
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
CCRICKETRICKET | Page 6 FORMULA 1 | Page 7 Gill, Morgan Hamilton star in Kolkata on pole in win over Russia, targets Hyderabad Schumi’s mark Sunday, September 27, 2020 FOOTBALL Safar 10, 1442 AH Chelsea stage superb GULF TIMES fi ghtback to earn West Brom draw SPORT Page 3 FOOTBALL / AFC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Al Sadd, Persepolis braced for tough test in last 16 tie Qatar’s most successful side in the Champions League boast the strongest attack in the competition with 14 goals so far AFC Doha he 2020 AFC Champi- ons League Round of 16 continues today with the fi rst fi xture of the Tday pitting Iran’s Persepolis FC against Al Sadd SC at Education City Stadium. Al Sadd cruised to the 2020 AFC Champions League Round of 16 with a game to spare, and after losing to Al Ain on Match- day Six, they fi nished second in Group C behind Al Nassr with nine points. The Qatari side boast the strongest attack in the competition with 14 goals to their name so far. Qatar’s most successful side in the AFC Champions League, Al Al Sadd coach Xavi Hernandez and (below) Persepolis coach Yahya Sadd have appeared in the com- Golmohammadi. petition on 13 occasions, reach- ing the knockout stage six times prior to 2020, winning the title in 2011 and reaching the semi-fi nals in 2018 and 2019. “Persepolis defeated us in the semi-fi nal two years ago, so the players are aware of how diffi cult an opponent they are,” said Al Sadd head coach Xavi, who was club captain in that 2018 match- up. “Our style is straightforward; we like to keep possession and (From left) Al Sadd’s Baghdad Bounedjah, Santi Cazorla, Akram Afif and Hassan al-Haydos celebrate a goal during their AFC Champions League impose our rhythm on the match. group stage campaign. PICTURES: Noushad Thekkayil Persepolis have a level of inten- sity and enthusiasm I have never in their history, their most recent ter beating UAE Pro League side the today’s encounter. be a tough game for both sides.” seen. In this competition, every eff ort taking them all the way Sharjah 4-0, while Al Taawoun’s “All teams in the AFC Cham- In the 2018 semi-fi nals, Perse- ball and every moment is impor- to the fi nal of the 2018 edition, late win against Al Duhail meant pions League are strong and we polis took home a valuable 1-0 tant. We have to fi ght for every which they lost to Kashima Ant- Persepolis’ result took them to know Al Sadd have some really win from Jassim Bin Hamad Sta- Bounedjah’s goal for Al Sadd, hold a marginal historical advan- ball, win the second ball every lers of Japan. the top of the group. good players especially in attack, dium courtesy of a late Ali Al- sending Persepolis into their tage with three wins to Al Sadd’s time and continue to work hard This time around, Persepolis “We face a diffi cult encounter but we have intelligent analysts ipour penalty, and were able to fi rst-ever fi nal. two victories, while the 1-1 draw until the fi nal whistle.” needed a win on Matchday Six against a strong and organised Al who will do well to analyse the hold to a 1-1 draw at Azadi Sta- Today’s match will be the sev- in the 2018 semi-fi nal was the Persepolis have made it to the to confi rm passage from Group Sadd team,” said Persepolis cap- opponents and the coaching staff dium three weeks later as Siamak enth encounter between Perse- only such result between the two knockout stage for the sixth time C, and they delivered in style af- tain Seyed Jalal Hosseini ahead of will help us prepare well. It will Nemati cancelled out Baghdad polis and Al Sadd. The Iranians sides. FOCUS Pakhtakor rally against Esteghlal to seal last eight spot AFC Two minutes before the end of ball to keep his side in front. Doha the half, Pakhtakor found their Pakhtakor controlled posses- equaliser. Sardor Sobirkhodjaev sion for long stretches of the sec- set up Alijonov to cross from ond half and had multiple half- akhtakor came from be- deep at the far post where Ceran chances; most notably Jaloliddin hind to defeat Estegh- was fi rst to the ball, guiding his Masharipov’s low shot from the lal FC 2-1 in the 2020 diving header past Hosseini to edge of the box at the hour mark AFC Champions League draw Pakhtakor level. and the winger’s curled eff ort PRound of 16 at Al Janoub Sta- In the absence of Covid-19 from a free-kick that crept ago- dium yesterday, a result which stricken coach Shota Arveladze, nisingly wide off Hosseini’s goal sent the Uzbekistan side to the it was down to his Dutch assist- with 15 minutes to go. quarter-fi nals for the fi rst time ant Pieter Huistra to deliver the With just nine minutes to go, since 2009. halftime talk, and his words set Esteghlal had their last big chance A physically intense opening up Pakhtakor for a red hot start to equalise as Ghaedi set up Dia- half of an hour saw little in the to the second half as they added bate with a cute pass inside the way of scoring chances despite their second within a minute of box and the Malian forward beat Pakhtakor’s clear dominance. the restart. his marker and had the goal at his The Group B leaders had their A swift and progressive ex- mercy, but somehow fl uff ed his best chance of the fi rst 30 min- change of passes in the opposi- lines and sent the ball wide. utes when Dragan Ceran tested tion half allowed Sobirkhodjaev Pakhtakor join Al Ahli Saudi the goalkeeper from long range to fi nd Erin Deriyok with plenty FC in the last eight as the Round but Seyed Hossein Hosseini was of space down the right and the of 16 continues with two games alert and made the save. Swiss striker drilled a half-vol- today. Al Sadd SC face Persepo- With 32 minutes gone, Es- leyed eff ort from the edge of the lis FC at Education City at 16:40 teghlal’s Mehdi Ghaedi looked box into the bottom corner to local time followed by the stage’s to make his way into the penalty give Pakhtakor the lead for the last fi xture — an all-Saudi clash box but was brought down just fi rst time in the game. between Al Nassr and Al Taa- outside the area by Khojiakbar Esteghlal looked to respond woun on the same venue at 20:45. Alijonov. and by the 54th minute, they had Ali Karimi stepped up to take a major goal scoring chance when the resulting free-kick and beau- Ghaedi cut inside from the left Pakhtakor’s Dragan Ceran tifully curled it into the back of and whipped a cross into the six (right) in action during the AFC the net, leaving goalkeeper El- yard box for Diabate who poked it Chaampions League Round of 16 dorbek Suyunov rooted to the goalward, but Suyunov was well tie against Esteghlal yesterday. spot. positioned and clutched into the PICTURE: Noushad Thekkayil Gulf Times 2 Sunday, September 27, 2020 SPORT FOOTBALL / AFC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Al Ahli edge Shabab Al Ahli on penalties to reach quarters The two teams were locked at 1-1 after regulation and extra time before Al Ahli won 4-3 on penalties AFC Doha Familiar rivals Al Nassr, Al Taawoun set l Ahli Saudi FC ad- for Round of 16 match-up vanced to the 2020 AFC Champions League AFC quarter-fi nals after Doha Abeating Shabab Al Ahli Dubai FC 4-3 on penalties after the 120 minutes of their Round of 16 l Nassr and Al Taawoun clash ended in a 1-1 draw at Al lock horns in an all-Saudi Janoub Stadium yesterday. Aclash in the fourth 2020 The two sides had met at the AFC Champions League Round same round in 2017 when Al Ahli of 16 match in Education City emerged 4-2 winners on aggre- Stadium today. gate to reach the quarter-fi nals, Al Nassr reached the Round of before exiting at the hands of 16 after topping Group D with 11 Persepolis FC. points. Moroccan striker Abder- Al Ahli came racing out of the azzak Hamdallah contributed blocks and within fi ve minutes five goals to their campaign they thought they had already progress, scoring in each of taken the lead. Marko Marin’s their first four games before be- Al Taawoun head coach Patrice Carteron and Al Nassr head coach Rui whipped cross from the corner ing rested with qualification all Vitoria (right). was met by Omar Al Soma’s pow- but secured. erful header which beat goal- The Riyadh-based side have I don’t think there will be more players physically to play 120 keeper Majed Nasser but can- reached the knockout stage pressure on us. We just need minutes and we will also prac- noned off the crossbar. Salman three times, this being the to stay focused on winning the tice penalties,” said Al Taawoun al-Muwashar slotted home the second time in a row. The first match.” head coach Patrice Carteron, rebound but was fl agged off side. time they reached the knockout On the other hand, Al Taa- who faces the team he coached Despite suff ering an early blow stage was in 2011, when they lost woun needed a dramatic late for a brief spell in 2017.