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Qatar champions Lekhwiya managed to hold on to their unbeaten AFC Champions League record this season after sharing a 2-2 draw with Uzbekistan’s Pakhtakor in Group B, in Tashkent yesterday. In the other match of the day, Al Rayyan got their first win of the season as the Qatari side saw off Al Ain 2-1 in Doha. |
Sebastian Soria’s fourth goal of the campaign had set Lekhwiya on
their way to following up last
week’s 3-1 win over Pakhtakor in Doha only for Gulom Urunov to also
score for the second consecutive game to pull the home side level in spectacular fashion midway through the first half.
Dame Traore’s own goal just after half-time then gave Pakhtakor hope of reclaiming their place at the top of the table, but Tunisian midfielder Youssef Msakni struck midway through the second half to maintain Lekhwiya’s one-point lead over the Uzbekistan champions at the top of the table.
Having scored twice in the closing stages last week to secure the win for Lekhwiya, Soria handed the
visitors the ideal start at Pakhtakor Stadium as the Qatar international converted Issiar Dia’s inviting right-wing cross from the edge of the six-yard area with barely 15 seconds on the clock.
But Pakhtakor were back on level terms midway through the first half as Lekhwiya could only partially clear a free-kick to the edge of the penalty area and Urunov ran in before spectacularly dispatching the dropping ball into the bottom corner with a first-time volley.
And Pakhtakor completed the turnaround 10 minutes into the second half as France-born naturalised Qatari defender Traore bundled Jamshid Iskanderov’s near post cross into his own net.
But Lekhwiya responded seven minutes after the hour mark as Msakni headed home Nam Tae-hee’s cross from the edge of the six-yard area with Pakhtakor goalkeeper Alexander Lobanov given no chance.
In the other match of the day, Jaralla al-Marri scored with four
minutes remaining to earn Al Rayyan their first win of the ongoing
season. The win ensures that Al Rayyan stay in contention for a place in
the knockout rounds of the tournament.
Brazilian forward Nilmar Honorato da Silva gave Al Rayyan the lead just before the hour mark while Yousef Ahmed levelled the scores for Al Ain. However, just seconds after Alex Brosque hit the crossbar for Al Ain, al-Marri scored from close range to seal the win for his club.
Al Ain, the inaugural ACL champions, had won the corresponding fixture between the two clubs last week in the United Arab Emirates and Cosmin Olariou’s side looked the most likely to strike first in the opening 45 minutes.
Jires Kembo-Ekoko went close with his long-range effort after just four minutes while Omar Abdulrahman should have done better with his
diving header in the 20th minute,
but his goal-ward attempt went straight into the arms of ’keeper Oumar Barry.
Brosque then went close with a well-struck right foot effort after Abdulrahman’s ball over the top unlocked the home defence, but the shot just missed the top bar.
Rodrigo Tabata carved out Al Rayyan’s best chance at the other end with three minutes remaining in the half when his free-kick forced Mahmood al-Mas to take evasive action, diving at full stretch to push the ball away for a corner.
In the 59th minute, however, Al Rayyan took the lead as Tabata’s perfect pass sent Nilmar through and he rounded al-Mas before slotting into the goal.
Al Ain, though, were back on level terms with 12 minutes remaining. Ahmed was unmarked as he rose to meet Abdulrahman’s corner and, eight minutes later, the 2003 champions looked set to take the lead only for Brosque’s shot to clip the top of the crossbar.
Almost immediately, Al Rayyan raced to the other end of the field. Tabata again played in Nilmar and, although his goal-bound effort was slowed by al-Mas’ outstretched arm, al-Marri was on hand to touch the ball over the line and secure the win for the Qatari side.