Al Sadd fight back to hold UAE’s Al Wasl

Al Wasl and Al Sadd have it all to play for after they settled for a 1-1 stalemate in their AFC Champions League Elite 2024-25 Round of 16 first leg tie at the Zabeel Stadium in Dubai on Monday.
Ali Saleh gave the United Arab Emirates side an early lead but a thumping Abdulla al-Yazidi header in the second half ensured a share of the spoils for Qatar’s Al Sadd, leaving both with a chance to make the quarter-finals.
The home side got off to a dream start, needing only three minutes to go in front with Saleh capitalising on Al Sadd’s inability to clear a corner kick, slamming home from close range to beat Meshaal Barsham at his near post.
A slip from Ahmed Suhail nearly gave Al Wasl the chance to increase their lead six minutes later as Joao Pedro raced through on goal but the Al Sadd defence was able to recover to block the Brazilian’s effort from the edge of the box.
Opportunities continued to fall the way of Al Wasl with Saleh wasting an easy chance in the 21st minute after Pedro showed good tenacity to prevent the ball from going out, only to see his cutback sent flying high over the bar by the Emirati international.
The Qatari side showed signs of life as the half went on with Suhail sending a free-kick straight at Khaled al-Senani before Rafael Mujica’s strike was tipped onto the post by the Al Wasl custodian to keep his team ahead going into the break.
After the interval, Al Wasl probed for another early goal and nearly found one in the 48th minute when Pedro’s shot on the half-turn looked to be heading for the back of the net but Youcef Atal intervened on the line.
That was to prove costly as Akram Afif, peripheral for much of the game, turned up when most needed, delivering a perfect cross to the far post in the 68th minute for substitute al-Yazidi to thump home a header for the equaliser.
Al Wasl were a width of the crossbar away from taking a lead into the return fixture when Saleh’s corner kick found Fabio de Lima unmarked but the latter saw his header crash against the frame of the goal as both sides settled for the draw.
They will meet in the return leg at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in a week’s time on March 10 in Doha with a place in the quarter-finals still up for grabs.