Joselu Scores Twice As Al Gharafa Beat Al Ain

(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Fawad Hussain | The Peninsula

Doha: Qatar's Al Gharafa yesterday bounced back at the AFC Champions League (ACL) Elite in style, defeating United Arab Emirates giants Al Ain 4-2 in a thrilling game at Al Bayt Stadium.

Joselu struck a brace to give Al Gharafa a two-goal lead with Seydou Sano and Yacine Brahimi securing the win for the Cheetahs after the visitors fought back through Alejandro Romero's (Kaku) spot kick and Soufiane Rahimi's low shot.

It was a remarkable comeback from Pedro Martins' side, who lost to Iran's Esteghlal 3-0 in their opening game of the continental showpiece.

With the stalemate persisting in the gripping first half, Brahimi's corner kick deflected off Sano and then ricocheted off Joselu's hip into the net, allowing Al Gharafa to take the lead just before the break.

The Spanish forward doubled Al Gharafa's advantage three minutes into the second half, heading Sano's cross following a set piece situation.

But Al Ain fought back leveling the scores with two goals in 10 minutes.

Romero reduced the lead, converting a penalty in spectacular fashion four minutes before the one-hour mark after Sano was penalised following a VAR check for a foul on Rahimi.

The reigning champions equalised 10 minutes later with Rahimi scoring from the centre of the box after an assist from Kaku Romero.

But Al Gharafa were in no mood to drop points as Sano restored their lead in 72nd minute finding the bottom right corner after a cross from Florinel Coman.

The Romanian then set up Brahimi four minutes later and the Algerian rounded up the win with a right-footed shot.

Martins' men, who moved up to sixth in the standings after the win, will face another UAE side Al Wasl Club in their next match at the same venue on October 22.

Al Rayyan's Younes Ali optimistic despite second straight defeat

Meanwhile, Al Rayyan coach Younes Ali remained confident of his team's chances to advance in the knockout stage of the AFC Champions League (ACL) Elite after a defeat to Al Nassr on Monday night in Riyadh.

This defeat marks the Qatari club's second consecutive setback in the competition, following their 3-1 home loss to Al Hilal, another Saudi Pro League powerhouse.

Monday's match was Younes Ali's first Champions League appearance since taking over from Poya Asbaghi last week.

Despite the defeat, his team put in a valiant effort, giving Stefano Pioli's Al Nassr a late scare with a strike from Roger Guedes after earlier goals from Sadio Mane and Cristiano Ronaldo had put the Saudi side ahead.

The Al Rayyan coach expressed satisfaction with his players' performance, especially considering the star-studded opposition.

“It was a competitive game and the players put up a good fight. The match was decided by the individual differences that the opposing team have,” said Younes Ali.

“We congratulate the Al Nassr team, they played a great match and deserved to win.”

The two defeats have left Al Rayyan reeling in the bottom of West Asia region with another Saudi side up next against them on October 21.

“Unfortunately for us, the first three matches in the group are against the Saudi clubs, who are among the main contenders to win the title,” the Al Rayyan coach said before hoping that his team can stage a late fightback in the league phase.

“The chances are there and we are looking for a comeback in our next match against Al Ahli. I believe that the ranking from sixth to eighth place will be decided in the last rounds because the differences are not big,” he said.

The AFC Champions League Elite features 24 teams, split between West and East leagues.

Under the new Swiss League format, each team will compete in eight group-stage matches, with the top eight teams from both regions advancing to the knockout rounds.

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