Al Sadd reached the semi-finals of the AFC Champions League after a 2-2 draw against a resilient Esteghlal in the quarter-finals at the Jassim Bin Hamad stadium yesterday. Having gone into match with a 3-1 lead from the first leg in Tehran, the result on their home ground yesterday was enough to send Jesualdo Ferreira’s men in to the last four on a 5-3 on aggregate win.
Al Sadd will now face another Iranian side Persepolis in the semi-finals. The first leg will be played on October 2nd or 3rd, with the second leg scheduled for October 23 or 24. Al Sadd and Persepolis have already locked horns in the group stage, with both sides winning their home encounter.
Against Esteghlal, Al Sadd were always the favourites on home soil and book their place in the last four. The game’s first shot on target arrived in the 15th minute, when Esteghlal midfielder Mehdi Ghayedi’s effort was kept out by Al Sadd goalkeeper Meshaal Aissa.
The hosts took time to settle into the game but showed just how dangerous they can be as the first half went on. Hassan al-Haydos fashioned a goal-scoring opportunity out of nothing in the 26th minute, topping off a great run with a stinging shot, forcing a save out of Mehdi Rahmati.
But it was Al Sadd who broke the deadlock in the 27th minute after excellent hold-up play by Baghdad Bounedjah. Latching Hassan al-Haydos’ right-wing cross, the Algerian international kept his composure despite being surrounded by a sea of defenders before his layoff picked out the late run of Akram Afif, who coolly finished past Mehdi Ramati into the bottom corner.
But, just five minutes later, an error by Al Sadd goalkeeper Meshal Aissa Barsham – who had scored a comical own-goal in the first leg – handed Esteghlal the equaliser. Rouhollah Bagheri’s strike was fumbled by Barsham and the ball fell into the net, levelling the score on the night.
As the second half kicked off, Esteghlal went on the attack with added vigour and were rewarded four minutes in, when Morteza Tabrizi rose highest to head in Farshid Esmaeili’s delivery to put the visitors 2-1 ahead.
Needing just a goal to level the aggregate score, Esteghlal were rising in confidence but they were struck with a blow in the 50th minute when Rouzbeh Cheshmi was sent off for a second bookable offence.
Afif then had a shot crash off the left post in the 55th minute but the game’s complexion had changed by then. Al Sadd managed to hold their own against their 10-man opponents for the remainder of the game, before being gifted a penalty deep into added time.
Al Sadd were in the middle of a blistering counter as Akram was played in by Bounedjah and took the ball round Ramati, before being dragged down inside the area as he was about to pull the trigger.
With 11 goals in the Champions League already to his name prior to yesterday’s game, it was no surprise that Bounedjah stepped up to the spot and he calmly sent Ramati the wrong way to secure his side’s passage into the last four.
Bounedjah had scored two goals at Azadi Stadium in the first leg and it just a continuation of his blistering form in the Champions League this season. With 12 goals in his kitty and certain to play two more matches, Bounedjah will be keen to match or even break the highest goalscoring record. The current record for goals in an AFC Champions League season is 13, held by Muriqui (2013) and Adriano (2016).
Bounedjah averages just over two shots on target per match, which highlights the 26-year-old’s ruthlessness in front of goal.
Al Sadd players, with Xavi on extreme right, celebrate their qualification to the AFC Champions League semi-finals yesterday. PICTURES: Noushad Thekkayil and Agencies
