Rahimi nets late winner as Al Ain edge Nasaf in ACL clash
The visitors continued to grow into the match, winning a series of corners, but Al Ain stood tall and defended well enough to remain in the tie
Al Ain came from behind to defeat FC Nasaf 2-1 thanks to a Soufiane Rahimi goal deep into added time in the AFC Champions League 2023/24 round of 16 at the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium on Wednesday.
Al Ain will now either face Al Fayha or Al Nassr in the quarter-finals.
Al Ain’s Bandar Al Ahbabi’s dangerous cross inside ten minutes found Kodjo Laba inside the box, who beat goalkeeper Abduvakhid Nematov to the ball in the air, but couldn’t direct his header on target.
Nasaf’s first chance fell to Georgian striker Temur Chogadze, but his strike from range was comfortably saved by Khalid Eisa.
Their second chance was even beter. Bobur Abdikholikov’s strong header found the botom right hand corner, only for UAE’S number one to push the ball clear and keep the score level.
The visitors continued to grow into the match, winning a series of corners, but Al Ain stood tall and defended well enough to remain in the tie.
It was the hosts which almost scored the opener, when Laba’s clever flick six-yards out caught the goalkeeper out only for a defender in behind to clear the ball away from danger.
Five minutes into the second half, Jaba Jigauri’s impressive scissor kick was once again well saved by Eisa, who was having his work cut out immediately.
From the resulting corner, Al Ain didn’t deal with the danger and Akmal Mozgovoy was in the right place at the back post to tap home from close range to hand the visitors the advantage.
However, four minutes later Laba’s acrobatic effort inside the box rifled into the back of the net to put Al Ain back on level terms.
The tempo of the game slowed down ater a frantic opening 20 minutes of the first half, with both sides holding firm as extra-time drew ever nearer.
However, three minutes into added time, Nematov failed to hold onto a cross whipped into the box, and Rahimi was on hand to fire home to complete the comeback.
LOPES PENALTY TAKES MARINOS THROUGH: Anderson Lopes hit a dramatic late winner from the spot in the final seconds of extra time as Japan’s Yokohama F. Marinos progressed to the quarter-finals ater defeating Bangkok United 1-0 in the second leg of their Round of 16 tie.
Ater the first leg finished all square at 2-2 in Pathum Thani, Harry Kewell’s Yokohama failed to find a way through the Bangkok defence for more than 120 minutes before Lopes’s penalty sent Bangkok goalkeeper Patiwat Khammai the wrong way to win the game in the dying moments of extra time.
The hosts hogged possession in the early stages at Yokohama International Stadium, but had to wait until the 19th minute for their first real chance when Elber tried to curl an effort from the edge of the box into the top corner only to miss the target by inches.
Moments later, the hosts breathed a sigh of relief when Mahmoud Eid sent Willen Mota one-on-one with goalkeeper William Popp, but the Bangkok forward’s decision to cross instead of testing the custodian from a narrowing angle allowed the Yokohama defence to clear their lines.
With the Bangkok defence holding firm, Elber once again tried his luck from distance in the 40th minute and this time saw his effort brush the let post of Patiwat’s goal on its way out as the first half ended with neither team registering a shot on target.
Totchtawan Sripan’s Bangkok showed greater atacking intent at the start of the second period, but Weerathep Pomphun’s long-range effort which was comfortably collected by Popp in the 56th minute was the closest they came to threatening the J1 League side.
Substitute Jun Amano had a gilt-edged chance to put Yokohama ahead in the 68th minute, but sent a Yan Matheus cross over the goal from close range. They went close again in the 79th minute and this time, it was the woodwork that came to the Thai oufit’s rescue.