Sports Tuesday, September 15, 2020 13 Excited Al Sadd ready for Al Ain challenge TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK When asked about Akram DOHA Afif’s fitness, Xavi said: “All the players are ready, and Akram TABLE topper in league stage is in good condition. We are of AFC Champions League only missing Salem Al Hajri 2020 Group D, Qatar’s Al Sadd and Ali Asad, who need more will be keen to continue their time to recover from injury.” good show post the unwanted The benefit of having pandemic break against for- played lately was underlined mer AFC Champions League by Al Sadd’s star defender Ab- winners Al Ain FC of the UAE delkarim Hassan. when the two sides go head-to- “We have benefitted a lot head at the Jassim bin Hamad from the resumption of the Qa- Stadium on Tuesday. tari league and the early start Al Sadd coach Xavi Hernandez (right) and Abdelkarim Hasan at the Al Sadd, known as the to training, and this gives us press conference on Monday. Wolves, have four points with more readiness than the rest of a win and draw to their credit the teams,” said the tall player di Arabia’s Al Nassr 2-1 on suspension of the competi- while Al Ain are still seeking sitting alongside his coach. Matchday Two. tion, and with the joint worst their first win having lost the The two sides met in the Al Sadd, on the other hand, goal difference figure in the first two. 2002-03 edition of the AFC needed an own goal from Al competition. Guided by coach Xavi Her- Champions League, a match Nassr’s Abdulelah Al Amri This will be the first com- nandez, the Wolves have the that ended in a 2-0 win for to salvage a draw away from petitive match for the 13-time advantage of playing on home the UAE Pro League side home on Matchday One, be- UAE Pro League champions turf besides playing in the QNB courtesy of Kandia Traore fore going on to beat Sepahan since March 14, after which Stars League season which just and Boubacer Sanogo’s by a 3-0 scoreline thanks to UAE football came to a halt ended. That apart, Al Sadd will Al Sadd’s Akram Afif (centre) speaks to skipper Hassan Al Haydos during practice on Monday. strikes. The Emiratis went on Akram Afif’s chip and captain due to the COVID-19 pandem- need to move into higher gear to lift the trophy that year. Hassan Al Haydos’ brace in the ic. Al Sadd resumed domestic given the level of competition. players as well. We are train- two editions of the Champions son. They have a good coach The 2020 edition started second half. football in late July. Xavi exuded confidence ing well and we will forward League, we reached the semi- and a lot of good local and for- in a difficult manner for Al Ain Fortunes have differed for The Qatari giants, who while speaking at the pre- to a strong start, in a compe- finals, and everyone is dream- eign players, but we are ready with a 4-0 defeat to Sepahan the two in the first two games have reached the semi-finals match press conference, say- tition that will be difficult for ing of reaching the final. We to compete.” FC at home. of the group - Al Sadd are on in the past two editions, while ing: “We are very excited to everyone.” are now playing at our home He, however, added. “I Coach Pedro Emanuel’s top with four points from two Al Ain need a win to take them start. Al Sadd is at the top of “I’m happy with what the and this is good for us.” know everyone is excited but men then slightly improved games while Al Ain sit at the back into contention for quali- the group. We have a lot of team’s performance at the About Al Ain, he said, “It is we have to be calm, and go on that performance, but not bottom of the group having fication to the Round of 16 for youngsters and experienced start of this season. In the last a different team from last sea- game by game, step by step.” enough as they lost to Sau- lost both matches prior to the the tenth time in their history. Air-conditioning Late drama seals Hilal helped us win, says Zaragoza AFC win over Pakhtakor DOHA Marko AFC SHABAB Al Ahli Dubai FC Marin DOHA recorded their first win of the 2020 AFC Champions League, A late Hattan Bahebri strike beating Shahr Khodro FC helped Al Hilal SFC down 1-0 at Al Janoub Stadium in 10-man Pakhtakor in a live- Group B on Monday. ly 2020 AFC Champions The match marked Shabab League Group B encounter Al Ahli’s return to competitive that ended 2-1 at Al Janoub action for the first time since Stadium on Monday. March, when the UAE Pro Both sides were positive League season was abandoned from the start as the Uzbek to limit the spread of COVID-19 champions and the Saudi and head coach Gerard Zarago- Pro League champions set za was pleased with his side’s Marin fires out to gain further ground performance on the night. on Shabab Al Ahli Dubai and “I would like to congratu- Shahr Khodro FC, the former late my players who played having narrowly beaten the really well in our first com- Saudi’s Al Ahli latter in the early Group B petitive match in six months. game on Monday. They fought hard and earned Less than five minutes the three points,” said the into last 16 into the match, Yasser Al Spaniard. Shahrani took a shot from “It was not easy for us to a very tight angle down the play after such a long break. AGENCIES the sidelines. I am happy that left flank, but keeper Eldor- “We trained and prepared DOHA I am fit again and fully recov- bek Suyonov parried it in extremely hot weather in ered after weeks of absence out for a corner that al- UAE, but today we played in FORMER Germany and Chel- from training. most resulted in an opener an air-conditioned stadium sea midfielder Marko Marin “It was a difficult injury from 2019 AFC Champi- which made things easier for struck the only goal of the and I am happy to start the ons League top scorer us, especially in transitions match as Saudi Arabia’s Al competition with a win against Bafetimbi Gomis’ header. between defence and attack.” Ahli beat Iraq’s Al Shorta to a strong team like Al Shorta. It A few minutes later, Al Both sides will be in dire become the first team to qual- was a great performance and Hilal keeper Abdullah Al need of a result when they ify for the knockout phase of we are happy to get the win,” Mayouf’s error was almost face-off again on Thursday, the Asian Champions League he added. instantly punished when with a defeat spelling elimi- on Monday. In a lively start to the Igor Sergeev snatched the nation for Shahr Khodro. and Two-times runners-up Al match at Khalifa Internation- ball and took a shot that was leaving qualification out of Ahli progressed to the last 16 al Stadium, the Saudis’ first tipped away by the Saudi Al Hilal Saudi FC player Sebastian Giovinco celebrates scoring the first goal against Uzbekistan’s Pakhtakor Shabab Al Ahli’s own hands. after the UAE’s Al Wahda were attempt on target came just Arabia keeper. FK in the Group B encounter of the AFC Champions League 2020 at the Al Janoub Stadium on Monday. considered withdrawn from four minutes into the game Former Juventus and To- Match report on page 14 Group A as they failed to travel with Omar Al Somah head- ronto FC forward Sebastian damov’s sliced shot from the Almost instantly, the Uz- and ended up in the net in to Qatar following several pos- ing Abdullah Tarmin’s cross Giovinco broke the dead- right wing. bek side rallied at the other the sixth minute of the added itive tests among the squad for straight into the hands of lock deep into first half in- Goalkeeper Suyonov was end of the pitch and replied time of seven minutes. Covid-19. goalkeeper Ahmed Basil. jury time with a beautifully sent off on 65 minutes after with a goal as substitute The result sends Al Hilal That meant the Saudi side Al Shorta delivered a curled free-kick executed running off his line to counter striker Eren Derdiyok blast- three points clear at the top had to secure only three points strong response two minutes from just outside the opposi- Gomis who had just received a ed in the rebound from Al of the group with nine points, to guarantee a top-two finish later, coming within inches of tion penalty area. through ball, handling the ball Mayouf’s initial save of Dra- while Pakhtakor stay second in the three-team group, and scoring as Karrar Amer rose The second half started outside the box in the process gan Ceran’s effort. with six points. The two sides Marin’s 87th-minute strike highest to power a header from off with several half chances and prompting the referee to Bahabri finally broke the face off again on Thursday in from close following a pass Ahmed Jalal’s in-swinging cor- though the threat level for produce the red card instantly.