Al Taawoun pressed from the start with Aschraf El Mahdioui pulling his long range effort wide in the first minute, while Saad Al Nasser failed to find the target a minute later before seeing his shot from distance blocked.

The Saudi Arabian side continued to pepper the Al Khaldiya goalmouth with shots with Abdulfattah Adam threatening twice, while Saad Al Nasser sent his shot just off the top left corner. 

The Saudi Arabian side continued to pepper the Al Khaldiya goalmouth with shots with Abdulfattah Adam threatening twice, while Saad Al Nasser sent his shot just off the top left corner. 

Al Khaldiya wasted a golden opportunity to take the lead at the half-hour mark when Al Taawoun keeper Mailson slipped a goal-kick pass to Igor Torres, whose low effort was cleared on the line by Awn Al Saluli.

Al Taawoun responded a minute later to take the lead when Flavio collected a deflected pass inside the six-yard-box before floating the ball into the path of Adam, who finished with a close range header.

The Bahraini side fought back, forcing Mailson into pulling off saves to deny Komail Al Aswad in the 37th minute before foiling Oussama Bellatreche’s attempt from inside the box.

Al Khaldiya’s persistence finally bore fruit in the 39th minute after Mailson could only parry Oussama Bellatreche’s shot, with Al Aswad scoring off the rebound.

Al Taawoun continued their aggressive approach in the second half and almost found a way through in the 52nd minute after Faycal Fajr threaded a through pass to Andrei Girotto, but the Brazilian midfielder shot right into the path of Ammar Mohamed.

The home side retook the lead in the 55th minute after a fine buildup play between Saad Al Nasser and Musa Barrow set up Sultan Mandash for a close range finish as they took the points and their spot in the next round. 

Al Khaldiya face Turkmenistan’s Altyn Asyr next week with Al Taawoun taking on Air Force Club.