DOHA : Qatari clubs endured mixed results this week in the league stage of the AFC Champions League Elite and the AFC Champions League Two competitions, with Al Sadd securing the only win among the country’s representatives in the top-tier tournament.
Al Sadd boosted their hopes of reaching the round of 16 with a 2-0 victory over Iran’s Tractor on Tuesday at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium. The two-time Asian champions (1989, 2011) moved up to eight points and climbed to eighth place in the West Zone standings — the final qualifying spot — level on points with seventh-placed Al Duhail but behind on goal difference, and ahead of ninth-placed Sharjah.
Al Sadd will next host Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ittihad in the eighth and final round of the league stage in a decisive encounter.
Al Duhail, meanwhile, missed the chance to strengthen their position after being held to a 1-1 draw at home by Sharjah. The result leaves them needing victory in their final match away to Iraq’s Al-Shorta, who sit 11th with two points, to secure progression.
Al Gharafa suffered the heaviest blow of the round, losing 7-0 away to Al-Ittihad. The defeat leaves them 10th on six points and facing slim qualification prospects, with their fate no longer in their own hands.
In the final round, Al Gharafa will host Tractor, who are third on 14 points and have already sealed qualification for the knockout stage.
In the AFC Champions League Two, Al Ahli were held to a 2-2 draw by Iran’s Sepahan in the first leg of their round-of-16 tie. The return leg will also be played at Al Thumama Stadium next Wednesday after the Asian Football Confederation decided to stage both matches in Doha due to current regional circumstances, citing safety and the need to ensure suitable competitive conditions.
