Qatar’s Al Gharafa claimed a famous win after they downed Al Ain FC of UAE 4-2 in a thrilling AFC Champions League Elite match at Al Bayt Stadium on Tuesday. The topsy-turvy match saw Al Gharafa taking a 2-0 lead before being pegged back by AFC Champions League 2023/24 winners Al Ain but recovered to score twice as Pedro Martins’ side went on to secure the first win of their campaign.
Al Gharafa started brightly, forcing a series of corner kicks albeit without causing Al Ain too much trouble before a Florinel Coman shot required goalkeeper Khalid Eisa to swing into action after six minutes of play. The visitors were largely contained inside their own half but in a rare break in the 23rd minute, Mateo Sanabria’s forceful run caused concerns for Al Gharafa but the young Argentine was eventually closed down by Seydou Sano.
Having seen their team keep AFC Champions League 2023/24 Most Valuable Player Soufiane Rahimi quiet in the opening half, the home fans had more reason to cheer in time added on at the end of the first half.
Yacine Brahimi’s corner kick hit Sano and then bounced off Joselu’s hip into the net with Eisa caught out by the deflections as Al Gharafa headed into the break in front.
The Qatari side doubled their lead in the 48th minute when teenage defender Sano held off Park Yong-woo on the right flank before firing in a cross that was headed in by Joselu. Al Ain were presented with an opportunity to pull one back in the 56th minute after referee Hiroyuki Kimura pointed to a spot following a VAR review following Sano’s foul on Rahimi with Kaku chipping in the spot-kick.
Boosted by the goal, Al Ain made it 2-2 in the 67th minute when Kaku fed Rahimi who sidestepped Sano before blasting a low shot past Sergio Rico. The pendulum swung back in favour of Al Gharafa six minutes later, a free-kick routine set up Coman for the cross with Sano arriving at the far post to sweep home with the hosts increasing their lead with another Coman assist in the 76th minute, this time Brahimi sliding in for the fourth.
Al Gharafa next meet another UAE side in Al Wasl Club on October 21, with Al Ain taking to continental action a day earlier against early pacesetters Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia.