AFC Champions League Elite
England international Ivan Toney stepped off the bench to score twice in four minutes to maintain Al Ahli’s perfect start to the competition, Matthias Jaissle’s side moving onto 15 points from the first five games to guarantee their progress to the last 16 following Monday's other results.
The result leaves reigning continental champions Al Ain, playing their first game in the competition under new boss Leonardo Jardim, rooted to the bottom of the standings in West Asia and, with three matches remaining, their hopes of going through to the next phase of the competition are rapidly disappearing.
The top eight finishers in the 12-team leagues on each side of the continent progress to the Round of 16 and, while Al Ahli moved into pole position with the win on Monday, the side from the United Arab Emirates are three points adrift of the qualification places.
After a tense opening the game came to life in the 19th minute, Al Ain’s Soufiane Rahimi latched onto Yahia Nader’s pass to step inside Roger Ibanez and slide an effort towards goal that Edouardo Mendy parried away with Matias Palacios firing the rebound over the bar.
Mendy was called upon again two minutes later, this time to deny Kodjo Laba when he struck from just inside the penalty area while Rahimi’s effort soon after hit the side netting as Al Ain went in search of the opener.
Roberto Firmino had a rare sight of goal for the visitors in the dying moments of the half when he was played behind the Al Ain defence by Feras Al Brikan only for the former Liverpool forward to drag his shot wide of Khalid Eisa’s goal.
Eisa was finally tested six minutes into the second half, the UAE international parrying Franck Kessie’s rising strike clear while four minutes later Mendy pushed Palacios’ attempt from an acute angle wide for a corner after a sweeping, multi-pass move by Al Ain.
Mendy needed to be at his sharpest to tip Kouame Kouadio’s header over the bar in the 62nd minute as the Al Ain defender steered Jorgens’ free-kick from the right towards goal while Laba’s header moments later was cleared by the defence.
But substitute Toney had no such concerns with 20 minutes remaining when he gave Al Ahli the lead, the former Brentford forward unmarked as Riyad Mahrez clipped a free-kick into the area and the Englishman’s header gave Eisa little chance.
Toney was on target again four minutes later when he slid in at the far post to steer Mahrez’s arcing ball from the right past Eisa via the bottom of his left foot with an expert first-time finish.
Al Ain grew increasingly desperate as time ticked down and Alejandro Romero eventually gave them hope three minutes into injury time with a volley into the roof of Mendy’s net but Al Ahli held out to not only qualify for the next stage but crank up the pressure on the title holders.
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