Source: Alamy Stock Photo

Second Win for Al Hilal, While Champions Al Ahly Held by Al Duhail

Saudi giants Al Hilal made it two wins from two in the AFC Champions League Elite after edging Uzbek hosts Nasaf 3-2 in Tashkent, kicking off Match week 2 which also featured a high-profile clash in Doha where Qatar’s Al Duhail held defending champions Al Ahly Jeddah to a 2-2 draw.

In the first match, Al Hilal’s victory over Nasaf was anything but straightforward. The visitors twice took the lead through Serbian midfielder Sergej Milinković-Savić (21’) and French defender Theo Hernández (45+2’), only for the hosts to respond each time via Sardorbek Bakhromov (27’) and Jo‘rakhon Sodiqov (61’). But Brazilian striker Marcos Leonardo struck the decisive blow in the 79th minute to seal the win.

The result sent Al Hilal temporarily top of the group with six points, two clear of Al Ahly and three ahead of UAE duo Al Wahda — who drew 0-0 with Iran’s Tractor — and Sharjah, who visit Al Sadd in Doha on Tuesday to wrap up the round.

Nasaf, meanwhile, remain bottom without a point after back-to-back defeats, following their opening 4-2 loss to Al Ahly.

The Champions Drop Their First Points

In Doha, Al Duhail battled to a 2-2 draw with titleholders Al Ahly.

The Qatari side made the stronger start and went ahead when Edmilson Junior pounced on a rebound after Algerian Adel Boulbina’s thunderous strike had crashed off the post (25’).

Ahly equalised through Brazilian Mateus Gonçalves with a powerful finish inside the box (42’), before Algerian star Riyad Mahrez gave them the lead on the stroke of halftime, capitalising on a mistake by Argentine substitute goalkeeper Bautista Burqui, who had just replaced injured Frenchman Arthur Desmas on his debut after joining from Le Havre (45+1’).

But just three minutes after the restart, Polish striker Krzysztof Piątek levelled matters for Al Duhail with a header from an Edmilson cross (48’). The champions now sit on four points, while Al Duhail picked up their first of the campaign.

Important Win for Al Gharafa

Elsewhere, fellow Qatari side Al Gharafa secured a vital 2-0 home win over Iraq’s Al Shorta, with goals from Spanish striker Joselu (49’) and Tunisian international Ferjani Sassi (54’), both assisted by Algerian playmaker Yacine Brahimi.

The victory helped “The Cheetahs” bounce back from their 4-3 defeat away to Sharjah on Matchday 1, lifting them temporarily into fourth place. Al Shorta, on the other hand, suffered their first loss of the competition after drawing 1-1 with Al Sadd in Baghdad, leaving them on a single point in ninth.

Meanwhile, Al Wahda shared the spoils in a goalless draw with Tractor in Tabriz at the Yadegar Imam Stadium, moving up to four points. Tractor, now on two, denied the Emiratis their first-ever win on Iranian soil, where they had previously lost four times and drawn twice.