Al Sadd's Semis with Persepolis Will Be Like a Final, Says Ferreira
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Nizakat Khan topscores for Hong Kong as minnows give India a big scare PAGE 19 WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2018 Real begin UEFA Champions League title defence against Roma PAGE 18 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE REAL MADRID VS ROMA (8 PM) Al Sadd’s semis with Persepolis will be like a final, says Ferreira AFC.COM DOHA AL Sadd coach Jesualdo Fer- reira didn’t hide his relief after a 2-2 draw at home with Es- teghlal in the second leg of the 2018 AFC Champions League quarter-finals on Monday sent his team to the last four of the competition. The 2011 winners advanced to the next stage on the back of a 5-3 aggregate win, having de- feated the Iranian team 3-1 in Coach Talk the first leg in Tehran. We played them (Persepolis) earlier (in the group stage), but this time it will be completely different. We saw how they overturned the result against Al Duhail. We need to be at our best when we play them, and that match is going to be like a final. Al Sadd coach Akram Afif extended that advantage for Al Sadd by open- Jesualdo Ferreira ing the scoring at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium. However, Es- be tough,” admitted Ferreira. teghlal threatened to derail the “We played them earlier (in hosts’ party after Rouhollah the group stage), but this time Bagheri and Morteza Tabrizi it will be completely different. struck either side of half-time We saw how they overturned to put them within a goal of ty- the result against Al Duhail. ing the aggregate score. We need to be at our best when Esteghlal defender Rouz- we play them, and that match beh Cheshmi was dismissed The 2011 winners advanced to the next stage on is going to be like a final. for a second bookable of- the back of a 5-3 aggregate win, having defeated “Now, we need to focus on fence almost immediately af- Iran’s Esteghlal FC 3-1 in the first leg in Tehran. our game against Al Rayyan in ter Tabrizi’s goal to halt their the league and then we will be momentum, but it took a last- able to properly think about minute penalty from Baghdad Al Sadd players celebrate making the AFC Champions League semis after a 2-2 draw against Esteghlal FC at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha on Monday. (AFP) the semi-final. I'm sure that Bounedjah to calm the Qataris' we have enough experience to nerves and confirm their qual- with the aim of making up for the game would go on to extra- lot of chances to score but we they are a strong team but we Iranian side in the semi-final deal with the tough matches ification to the semi-finals. the two-goal deficit from the time and penalties but we were weren’t able to benefit from showed our strength as well by after Persepolis booked their that are coming up, both at “The game in Tehran was first leg. able to maintain the scoreline them. When you play against a reaching the semi-finals.” spot following a sensational home and in Asia.” easier than this one,” said Fer- “They almost scored a and then scored a late goal to team with 10 men, it doesn't al- With the quarter-final be- comeback win over Al Duhail. The semis first leg will be reira. “Esteghlal came at us at third goal in the latter stages go through to the semi-final. ways mean that they are weak. hind them, Al Sadd will now “There’s no doubt the played in Qatar on October 2 full strength and they played of the game. We feared that “It is true that we got a “Esteghlal showed that look ahead to facing another game against Persepolis will and the second in Iran on 23rd. MESSI MAGIC IN UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Asia Cup: Sarfraz, Rohit promise blockbuster India-Pakistan clash AFP ABU DHABI RIVAL captains Sarfraz Ahmed and Rohit Sharma played down the hype surrounding the much-awaited India-Pakistan clash in Dubai on Wednesday, insisting that the Asia Cup is much more than a contest be- tween the arch-rivals. But despite their claims, millions of fans across the border and elsewhere in the world will be watching the Group A clash, with a sold out 25,000-crowd expected at Du- A 2006 file photo of cricket fans holding the Pakistani and Indian bai Stadium. flags during the first day of the Test match played at the Gaddafi Sta- The game is the first be- dium in Lahore. Sparks generally fly when India take on Pakistan in tween the sub-continent rivals cricket, and the Asia Cup clash on Wednesday will be an emotionally since Pakistan thumped In- charged fixture as always.(AFP) dia by 180 runs in the final of the Champions Trophy at The competition to help his aching India have won the event Oval in June last year. back after a gruelling tour of – which started in 1984 – six The two teams are facing England. But Sarfraz refused times, while Pakistan have each other for the first time in to accept Kohli's absence will been champions twice. the UAE since 2006, the last make much difference. Two teams from each of their regular matches which “No doubt he (Kohli) is group will qualify for the Super Barcelona’s Argentinian forward Lionel Messi (left) kicks the ball and scores during the UEFA Champions’ League Group B match PSV were also held in Sharjah be- their captain and a world-class Four stage, with the top two to Eindhoven at the Camp Nou Stadium in Barcelona on Tuesday. (AFP) tween 1984-2000. batsman but I think they (In- reach the September 28 final. Sarfraz, who led Pakistan dia) have a good team even So barring any upsets in that memorable Champions without Kohli. “They have against Hong Kong, India Lionel scores hat-trick as Barcelona drub PSV 4-0 Trophy triumph, denied that good players who have done and Pakistan will also face off his team will have a psycho- well for India. So I don’t think again in the Super Four on AFP the edge of the area nestling in erable World Cup trying to re- side beat Tottenham 2-1 on logical advantage. it will make much difference September 23. BARCELONA the top corner, exactly where it trieve the irretrievable Argen- their return to the Champions “We will not take that Cham- to India. Their batting is very India skipper Sharma was intended. tina, Barcelona's now-captain League after a seven-year ab- pions Trophy win in our minds,” strong so I can say that it will said his team will be looking LIONEL Messi pictures the Messi would have his second proved his quality again to any sence. said Sarfraz on Monday, a day be a good match.” beyond Pakistan. “It’s always Champions League ending and third before the end, but the doubters that are left. Christian Eriksen’s deflect- after his team thumped quali- Sarfraz has told his players exciting to play Pakistan, but with him hoisting the trophy game was up by then thanks to a Four goals already in La ed strike gave Spurs a 53rd- fiers Hong Kong in their first just to enjoy the occasion. it's not about one team as well. and it began with him scoring superb strike from the excellent Liga, seven overall, neither minute lead at the San Siro, and match of the tournament. “My message to the play- There are other teams also eye- a hat-trick on Tuesday as Bar- Ousmane Dembele. age nor Cristiano Ronaldo's the visitors looked comfortable. “That was a different at- ers is not to bother about the ing the title,” said Sharma, who celona put four goals past PSV Only when Barca were three departure from Spain appear But Argentinian striker Icardi mosphere (in London) and result and do (their) best and has the rare record of scoring Eindhoven. ahead was Samuel Umtiti sent to have taken the edge off. hammered home a magnifi- conditions. It was a year ago so when you do that you get a three ODI double hundreds. An early kick-off at Camp off for a second yellow card, and cent volley in the 86th minute that's history so we will enter positive result in all matches All six teams have to en- Nou meant that before most with 10 men, Messi completed Inter’s late comeback to draw Inter level, and Matias the ground with a new strategy because there are five other dure extreme hot conditions of the tournament's teams had his hat-trick for a 4-0 win. stuns Spurs Vecino took advantage of some and passion.” teams as well,” he said. in the UAE, with the tempera- even named their line-ups, Dembele’s goal was worthy A stunning Mauro Icardi volley slack Tottenham defending at India’s regular captain and Five-time Asia Cup champi- ture scaling to over 40 degrees Messi was up and running, of deciding any match but this sparked a stunning late Inter a corner to nod in a dramatic world-class batsman Virat ons Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Celsius and expected to rise his sumptuous free-kick from was Messi's night. After a mis- Milan comeback as the Italian injury-time winner. Kohli has been rested for the Afghanistan are in Group B. further in the coming days.