JEDDAH: Saudi clubs Al-Shabab and Al-Hilal settled for drab draws against separate opponents yesterday in the AFC Champions League.
In Uzbekistan, Hilal failed to deliver the victory it needed against Pakhtakor Tashkent after the sides tied 1-1. The result was disappointing to Hilal fans who had hoped their team would bring home the game’s three points especially after Hilal drew its opening match 0-0 against Saba Batry of Iran in Riyadh.
The draw left Hilal in second place with two points behind Pakhtakor, which is on top of Group A with 4 points. Hilal received help when Saba Batry drew with Al-Ahli of UAE in the same group match. Al-Ahli brings up the rear with one point while Saba Batry is in third place.
Shabab likewise had to share the spoils in a goalless draw with Piroozi Perspolis of Iran in Riyadh. With the draw Shabab and Piroozi remain tied in Group B with four points each. In the other match of the group, Al-Garrafa of Qatar defeated Al-Sharjah of UAE 2-0 in UAE. The win put Al-Garrafa in the third position with three points while Al-Sharjah went down to its second straight defeat.
Action continues today with yet another eight matches taking place including two involving Saudi teams. Al-Ittihad flew to Doha to face Umm Salal of Qatar. Ittihad sits on top of Group C with three points from one difficult win against Esteghlal Tehran of Iran in Jeddah 2-1. Umm Salal too has three points but in second place on goal difference. Ittihad is seeking victory that would strengthen its leading position in the group.
Al-Ittifaq hosts Sepahan of Iran in Dammam in a match deemed a tough one for Ittifaq. Ittifaq is still to earn its point in Group D after losing its opening match against Kuruvchi Bunyodkor of Uzbekistan 2-1. Sepahan leads the group with three points. In the other match of the group, Kuruvchi Bunyodkor of Uzbekistan faces UAE’s Shabab in UAE.
Meanwhile, in the Saudi Professional League, Ahli managed to collect the full three points against Al-Raid in Hail after winning the match 3-2. The result put Ahli in third place with 32 points ahead of fourth-ranked Shabab.
Today’s match between Al-Nasr and Wehda in Riyadh is a pending game from round 13.
In the other AFC Champions League matches, reigning champion Gamba Osaka maintained its red-hot form to stun FC Seol 4-2 and China’s Shandong Luneng demolished Indonesia Sriwijaya 5-0. Elsewhere, Newcastle Jets handed Australia its first win of the tournament with a 2-0 victory over Korea’s Ulsan Hyundai, while the clash between J-League stalwarts Nagoya Grampus and Beijing Guoan ended goalless.
— With input from agencies
