Al Sadd continued their unbeaten streak in the AFC Champions League Elite with a 1-1 draw against Al Wasl at Dubai’s Zabeel Stadium. Romain Saiss scored the equalizer for Al Sadd in response to Alexis Perez’s goal for Al Wasl. Despite Al Wasl being reduced to 10 men with a red card to Soufiane Bouftini, Al Sadd was unable to capitalize on this advantage.
Coach Felix Sanchez expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance, as they now have eight points from two wins and two draws in the 12-team West Zone. Sanchez emphasized the importance of qualifying for the knockout stage, stating that the team is on the right track towards achieving this goal.
In the match, Al Sadd pushed for an early lead with several attempts on goal, including a shot from Yusuf Abdurisag and an attempt from Akram Afif. However, it was Al Wasl who opened the scoring with Perez’s long-range strike that took a deflection off Boualem Khoukhi. Al Sadd continued to press for an equalizer, eventually finding success through a set-piece that led to Saiss’ goal.
Despite Al Wasl’s strong defense and goalkeeper Khaled Al Senani making key saves, including stopping a shot from Cristo Gonzalez, the match ended in a 1-1 draw. Both teams shared the points, with Al Sadd preparing to face Al Hilal in their next match while Al Wasl will meet Al Shorta.
In other AFC Champions League matches, Al Ahli Saudi defeated Al Shorta 5-1, Al Gharafa drew with Persepolis 1-1, and Al Hilal secured a 3-0 victory over Esteghlal. Today’s fixtures include Central Coast Mariners vs Shanghai Shenhua, Kawasaki Frontale vs Shanghai Port, Vissel Kobe vs Gwangju, and Johor Darul Ta’zim vs Ulsan HD, among others.
