Al Sadd staged a stunning fightback as they came from two goals down to beat Shabab Al Ahli 4-2 in their AFC Champions League Elite tie at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha.
Goals from Federico Cartabia and Yahya al-Ghassani looked to have secured Shabab Al Ahli their round of 16 spot but Rafa Mujica struck a hat-trick with Tarek Salman contributing the fourth as Al Sadd registered their first win of the season to their hopes alive.
Qatar’s Al Sadd made four changes from their last match with Boualem Khoukhi and Pedro Miguel coming into the lineup with Tarek Salman starting from the bench, while Breno Lemos and Gaston Alvarez returned to Shabab Al Ahli’s midfield with Mateus Lima up front. UAE’s Shabab Al Ahli almost went ahead in the opening minute when Alvarez squared the ball nicely for Cartabia, who could not get to the end of the cross from inside the six-yard-box.
The home side went close in the 12th minute when Akram Afif played the ball to Giovani, who weaved his way into the box but fired his effort wide of the left post, while Yuri Cesar forced Al Sadd keeper Meshaal Barsham into a low save moments later.
Roberto Mancini’s side stayed calm just before the half-hour mark with Cartabia, Lima and Guilherme Bala all piling on the pressure from inside the area, while a careless backpass from Salman was almost intercepted by Lima but Bersham was quick to clear the danger.
Al Sadd were also wasteful upfront with Giovani pulling his effort over the bar after a fine team move in the 42nd minute while at the other end, Barsham was on top of his game again when he deflected Lima’s stinging shot after Bala’s set-up in first half stoppage time.
Cesar then came close to finding the opener when he played a neat exchange with Bala at the edge of the area before falling to connect to the midfielder’s cutback.
Al Sadd were left stunned two minutes after the break when Mersad Seifi delivered a pinpoint cross to the far post, allowing Cartabia to power home the opener past a rooted Bersham. Shabab Al Ahli almost doubled their tally in the 53rd minute after Cesar played a well-timed through ball for Lima, who struck his shot past Bersham only for the ball to bounce off the bar.
The pressure finally told on Al Sadd as they conceded a penalty following Miguel’s foul on Cartabia, with Al Ghassani converting from the spot in the 70th minute. Al Sadd responded five minutes later after a quick throw-in left Afif with space on the left and the forward set-up Mujica to strike past Hamad Al Meqbaali.
Boosted by the goal, Al Sadd pushed forward and drew level in the fifth minute of time added on with Salman finishing off Roberto Firmino’s layoff. There was more to come as a lapse in concentration by Shabab Al Ahli saw Mujica weave his way through before slotting past Al Meqbaali six minutes later with Afif then setting up the Spaniard for his hat-trick in the 13th minute of added time to complete the amazing victory.
