Al Duhail overcome spirited Iraqis in Asian Champions League

DOHA: Qatar giants Al Duhail overcame some spirited resistance from Iraq's Al Shorta and their own suspect finishing before clinching a 2-0 win in their opening Asian Champions League match on Thursday.

An own goal by Hussam Kadhim gave Al Duhail a fortunate lead in the 36th minute before Brazilian Edmilson Junior struck with a lovely volley in the 53rd off a headed assist by Almoez Ali to help Sabri Lamouchi's side grab three points at the King Abdulla Sports City in Jeddah.

The Group C match in the Saudi port city saw the seven-times Qatar league champions dominate proceedings although Al Shorta did well to thwart their dangerous forwards on most occasions.

But sustained pressure eventually paid off and Al Duhail grabbed the opening goal in the 36th minute, albeit with a stroke of luck.

Kenyan star Michael Olunga let rip following a crisp one-two with Ali Karimi but the ball took a deflection off Kadhim before settling into the net, much to Al Shorta's despair.

Both Olunga and Iranian Karimi had missed chances earlier in the match and along with Almoez caused several anxious moments for the Iraqis.

Al Duhail's crisp passing game came to the fore once again, resulting in their second goal, with Edmilson applying the finishing touch to Almoez's assist with a volley from the centre of the box.

Al Sadd and Al Rayyan, Qatar's two other teams in the tournament, had drawn their matches on Wednesday.

Elsewhere, three-time champions Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia were held to a 2-2 draw in Group A by Uzbekistan's AGMK who are making their debut in the tournament.

Al Hilal, who last won the title in 2019 and two times before that when the tournament was called the Asian Club Championship, were in for an early shock at the Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium in Riyadh.

Mohamed al-Burayk's ill-advised pass intended for goalkeeper Abdulla al-Mayouf ended in disaster as Zafar Polvonov stole the ball and slotted it into the empty net in the 11th minute.

AGMK, from the city of Almalyk some 70 kilometres from Tashkent, kept gaining in confidence after that and almost scored their second goal a few minutes later, but Husniddin Gafurov's great effort from the left of the box just curled wide.

Al Hilal though were quick to regroup and found the equaliser in the 27th minute after al-Burayk's low shot off a pass from Luciano Vietto was deflected into the net for an own goal by Sardor Rakhmanov.

Al Hilal went into the lead for the first time when former Atletico Madrid player Vietto found himself in a perfect position to meet a cross from Andrew Carillo and score with an easy tap-in in the 36th minute.

The Uzbeks once again punished Al Hilal for some sloppy defending in the 70th minute.
Goalkeeper al-Mayouf failed to catch a cross from Dilshodbek Akhmadaliev and Sanjar Shaakhmedov struck from close to earn his team a creditable draw.

Also in Group A, Tajikistan's Istiqlol grabbed a point forcing a goalless draw against the UAE's Shabab Al Ahli.

The Asian Champions League's western zone matches involving five groups are being played in Goa, Sharjah, Riyadh and Jeddah.

The new format sees only the top teams in each group and the three best second-placed teams advance to the last-16 knockout phase of the tournament.