ACL Two: Al Wakrah reach knockout stage after Tractor FC draw

Doha, Qatar: Al Wakrah were held 3 3 by Tractor FC of Iran in a thrilling fifth round Group A match of the AFC Champions League (ACL) 2 for 2024 2025...

Doha, Qatar: Al Wakrah were held 3-3 by Tractor FC of Iran in a thrilling fifth round Group A match of the AFC Champions League (ACL) 2 for 2024-2025 season at the Al Rashid Stadium in Dubai yesterday.  The result however saw Al Wakrah join Tractor FC in the knockout stage of the tournament though they still have a group stage match remaining against Tajikistan’s FC Ravshan next week. While Ricardo Gomes (4th minute), Almahdi Ali Mukhtar (51st minute) and Jacinto Dala (69th minute scored for Al Wakrah, Amirhossein Hosseinzadeh (45th minute), and Mehdi Hashemnejad (75th and 87th minute) did so for Tractor FC.

Al Wakrah, who needed just a point to join Tractor in the Round of 16, made a super start as Farid Boulaya won a battle for the ball against Shojae Khalilzadeh and set up Ricardo Gomes with a fine pass to make the finish from close range. Gomes nearly doubled the tally two minutes later as he broke free of his marker before striking a low drive which was saved by Tractor keeper Alireza Beiranvand. In the 17th minute, Gomes gave the Iranian shot-stopper a scare but his glancing header pulled just wide of the right post. Tractor got the equaliser just before the break after Ricardo Alves sent a well-timed long ball to Hosseinzadeh, who muscled his way lifting the ball over custodian Mohammed Al Bakri. Al Wakrah came back fighting and retook the lead six minutes after the restart from a set-piece situation with Almahdi Ali steering Dala’s set-up into the back of the net.  Al Wakrah scored again in the 69th minute as this time Dala himself found space inside the area before finishing with a curling effort. For Tractor FC, Hashemnejad cut the deficit after finishing a fine team move in the 75th minute.  A lapse in concentration paved way for the Iranian side to draw level a second time as Hashemnejad made a clinical finish in the 87th minute.