DOHA (Qatar): Harib Abdallah scored the all-important goal to beat Al Ahli Dubai beat Iran’s Shahr Khodro in a Group B 2020 AFC Champions League.
With both teams having lost their opening two fixtures, they set out to get their first points of the campaign ahead of their next game against each other three days later.
Playing their first competitive fixture since March, Shabab Al Ahli’s first chance of the game came early on when 2015 AFC Footballer of the Year Ahmed Khalil struck a placed shot at Shahr Khodro keeper Matin Safaeian, who was able to make the save.
The first 15 minutes were characterised by intense pressure from the Dubai side, whose efforts were met by physical challenges that resulted in a number of indirect free-kicks being leveled into the penalty area.
Safaeian was called into action again when Khalil headed a high ball down into the path of Abdullah Al Naqbi, who in turn placed a shot above the keeper yet the latter just about managed to tip it over the crossbar.
A few minutes into the second half Khalil blasted wide, with the next 15 minutes bringing virtually no final third action bar a header by Al Naqbi that fell wide of the goal from Azizjon Ganiev’s free-kick.
Al Naqbi was the centre of the action again after Khalil’s through ball found him, and one on one with the keeper, the midfielder somehow slashed wide from eight yards.
In a rare chance for Shahr Khodro, the Iran Pro League side’s attack managed to string a number of passes outside their opponent’s area, but it ended when Akbar Sadeghi skied the shot.
The first half lost intensity as time went on after a spell of dominance by Shabab Al Ahli gradually eroded with neither of the teams posing a threat after the half hour mark, while a rise in physical challenges increased the number of stoppages due to fouls.
