Qatar Football AssociationAFC Champions League
22.09.2020 9:33 in :

DOHA: Al Sadd left it late to secure a valuable point as Baghdad Bounedjah helped them to a 1-1 draw against Al Nassr on Matchday Five of the 2020 AFC Champions League Group D.

After Sepahan played out a goalless draw against Al Ain in another Group D match later yesterday, the Qatari club’s nine points from the group stage were good enough to send them through to the Round of 16 with Al Nassr (11 points).

Yesterday, both Al Sadd and Al Nassr proved why they are the top scoring sides in the competition with chances coming as early as the fifth minute of play, when Bounedjah squandered an excellent chance to break the deadlock when he fired wide, after a beautifully weighted pass from Korea Republic man Nam Tae-hee.

Another chance fell to the Qatar Stars League side when Akram Afif cut inside from the left flank and started a string of pitch-wide passes that went through Nam and Bounedjah before Hassan al-Haydos angled a shot into the top corner, but Brad Jones’ acrobatic brilliance denied the Al Sadd captain.

Abdulfatah Adam was responsible for missing the first big chance that fell to the Saudi Pro League side, after Guilherme was dispossessed in midfield, the result of which was a high ball that Adam chased down before lashing a stinging shot on goal that keeper Saad Al Sheeb pushed out.

The first goal came through Khalid Al Ghannam, after receiving a throw in down the left flank, he dribbled into the penalty area and took on marker Pedro Miguel before taking a shot from an extremely tight angle that rolled between the keeper’s legs and settled into the net.

Intensity petered out as the game progressed with fatigue setting in, but Nam had a golden chance to equalise five minutes from time when Afif carefully lifted a ball across the box to youngster Yusuf Abdurisag, who headed it down for the Korea Republic international but the latter missed it.

Three minutes from time, Bounedjah gifted his side a point when he curled the ball into Jones’ net after Afif had played a ground pass to Nam, the number 10 beautifully played the Algeria international in to finish off.