Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Tehran: Al Ahli will take a slender advantage into the second leg of their 2015 AFC Champions League quarter-final with Naft Tehran in three weeks’ time after Cosmin Olaroiu’s side picked up a 1-0 win over the Iranians at the Azadi Stadium on Wednesday.
Brazilian Lima, a high-profile capture from Portugal’s Benfica in the close season, scored the only goal of the game with a diving header to give Al Ahli the upper hand ahead of the second leg in Dubai on September 16.
Olaroiu and his team are seeking to become the first club from the United Arab Emirates to win the title since Al Ain claimed the inaugural AFC Champions League in 2003 and they put on an assured performance.
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A cagey opening half hour saw little action at either end, with Naft Tehran going closest to threatening to open the scoring when Alireza Ezati blazed his effort over the bar from close range in the 18th minute after the Al Ahli defence failed to clear a corner.
Fifteen minutes later, the Emiratis had their first attempt on goal, only for Ismail Hammadi to fire over the bar form the edge of the area after Ahmed Khalil’s break had forced the Iranians onto the back foot.
With seconds remaining in the half, Al Ahli spurned the best opportunity of the opening 45 minutes as Lima (pictured right) headed just wide following an inch-perfect cross from Everton Ribeiro on the right.
With the scores level, the tension increased as the second half wore on, with both teams fighting for the upper hand.
Two minutes after the hour mark, Al Ahli finally claimed the initiative after putting the home defence under an increased amount of pressure.
Everton Ribeiro’s corner from the Naft Tehran left was flicked towards the six-yard box by Walid Abbas and Lima threw himself at the ball to score with a fine diving header.
Naft Tehran attempted to respond within minutes, but Carlos Santos sent his header over the bar just two minutes later while Ezati somehow managed to head his attempt across the face of goal after Abbas Bozar had driven in his free kick from the left.
Al Ahli, however, managed to run down the clock and, despite holding a one-goal advantage, the tie remains very much in the balance ahead of next month’s second leg.
Photo: WSG