The result at Jassm bin Hamad Stadium maintained Al Sadd's unbeaten run in Group D and saw their Emirati opponents pick up their first point of the campaign, while fans will look forward to the return meeting on Friday.

But although there was plenty of attacking flair on offer, the game also exposed frailties at the back, something that may be of particular concern to Al Sadd coach Xavi Hernandez.

Kodjo Laba opened the scoring for Al Ain early on. 2019 AFC Footballer of the Year Akram Afif equalised on 35 minutes, shortly before Bauyrzhan Islamkhan hammered home a contender for goal of the tournament to put Al Ain ahead before half time.

A debut goal from Santi Cazorla followed by a Baghdad Bounedjah tap-in put Al Sadd ahead before friendly fire from Boualem Khoukhi put the game back on equal terms. The result meant Al Sadd slipped down to second place on five points after Al Nassr managed a win against Sepahan FC, while Al Ain took their first point of the campaign yet remained bottom of the group, four points off second place.

Only two editions of the AFC Champions League have ever witnessed the absence of both powerhouses; 2009 and 2012. Domestically Al Ain and Al Sadd are the most successful club sides in the UAE and Qatar respectively.

A slow start to the 2020 edition meant that Al Ain, most recently in the final in 2016, find themselves bottom of Group D without a single point going into Matchday Three, but with additions such as Angolan winger Wilson Eduardo, Al Ain are hoping to rekindle the spirit of that run to the final.

The two sides met in the 2002-03 edition of the AFC Champions League, a match that ended in a 2-0 win for the UAE Pro League side courtesy of Kandia Traore and Boubacer Sanogo’s strikes. The Emiratis went on to lift the trophy that year.

The two sides went into the game with contrasting fortunes, with Al Ain needing to pick up points after opening their campaign with two losses while Al Sadd needed to consolidate their position at the top of Group D.

The two sides shared the points as Al Sadd SC maintained their unbeaten run while Al Ain picked their first point after two consecutive defeats.

Laba, who broke the deadlock at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium just five minutes into the game, was proud of Al Ain's fighting performance in their first competitive match in six months.

Sepahan’s fortunes have drastically shifted from Matchday One to Matchday Two, having started the campaign off with a 4-0 defeat of former champions Al Ain FC before succumbing to a 3-0 loss at the hands of Al Sadd SC.

In turn, Al Nassr kicked their 2020 AFC Champions League journey off with a 2-2 draw against Al Sadd, before bagging all three points against Al Ain on Matchday Two with a 2-1 win.