Tractorsazi continued its winless run after drawing 1-1 at home with Al Jazira of the UAE in their 2018 AFC Champions League Group A fixture on Tuesday at Yadegar-e-Emam Stadium in Tabriz, Iran.
The Tabriz-based team started brightly and had a number of opportunities to go ahead in the first half, but was denied a goal by some stellar goalkeeping by Al Jazira’s Ali Khaseif, AFC reported.
While the hosts enjoyed clear domination, Al Jazira opened the scoring against the run of play in the 44th minute. Brazilian star Romarinho latched on to an aerial pass from defender Musallam Fayez and slotted in the first goal of the match.
After the restart, Tractorsazi emerged with renewed vigor and urgency, but was let down once again by a combination of poor finishing and Khaseif’s continued brilliance. Ehsan Pahlevan, in particular, had a glorious chance after going one-on-one with the Emirati goalkeeper but skewed his shot just wide of the right post.
Ertugrul Saglam’s men did not lose hope, though, and their perseverance finally paid off in the 78th minute when Farzad Hatami headed in Pahlevan’s cross to equalize. The final few minutes saw Tractorsazi bombard the Al Jazira box in search of a winner but the visitors held on to secure a point.
The result leaves Tractorsazi on the brink of elimination, as it sits at the bottom of Group A with two points after four games. Al Jazira, on the other hand, has a tally of five points and remains in contention alongside Al Ahli of Saudi Arabia and Al Gharafa of Qatar.
Both teams will be on the road for Matchday Five, as Al Jazira plays Al Gharafa in Doha while Tractorsazi faces Al Ahli away.
Esteghlal Stops
Tsukasa Shiotani’s late goal earned Al Ain of the UAE a 1-1 away draw against Group D rivals Esteghlal on Matchday Four on Monday at Tehran’s Azadi Stadium.
Al Ain tried to open the scoring early in the game, but Rayan Yaslam’s left-footed effort missed the target by a narrow margin 12 minutes in. Omar Abdulrahman tested the goalkeeper from outside the box, but Seyyed Hosseini was alert and made the save in the 24th minute.
Three minutes before the halftime whistle, Mame Thiam’s fourth goal of the competitions restored parity from the spot after Farshid Esmaeili was brought down inside the box.
Six minutes after the restart, Al Ain’s Marcus Berg’s shot was saved following a headed pass from Abdulrahman.
Al Ain continued to push for an equalizer and was finally rewarded in the 78th minute when Shiotani unleashed a powerful shot that left the Iranian goalkeeper helpless.
Esteghlal will host Qatar’s Al Rayyan on Matchday Five, while Al Ain welcomes Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia to Hazza bin Zayed Stadium next month.
Zobahan Loses Big
Mourad Batna bagged a goal and an assist as UAE’s Al Wahda defeated Zobahan 3-0 in Group B on Monday at Sheikh Zayed Sports City Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
Al Wahda started on the front foot as Batna’s shot in the fourth minute went just wide off the left post. Zobahan responded through Seyyed Hosseini whose shot was saved by goalkeeper Rashed Ali.
Sebastian Tagliabue put the home side in front in the dying moments of the first half, sweeping home from Balazs Dzsudzsak’s deftly executed free-kick.
Just 12 minutes after the restart, Batna extended Al Wahda’s lead as his curled shot from the edge of the box found the back of Zobahan’s net, making it 2-0.
In the 65th minute, Mohamed Al Akbari rounded the scoring for the Emiratis after calmly converting Batna’s ground cross. Al Wahda maintained composure and an organized defense until the referee blew the full time whistle.
Despite the win, Al Wahda remains in Group B’s last spot with three points ahead of a trip to Tashkent to face Lokomotiv, while Zobahan stays second with six points and will face Al Duhail of Qatar n Matchday Five.
