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AFC Champions League Elite: Mixed fortunes for UAE clubs as Shabab Al Ahli win and Al Wasl lose

thenationalnews.com · 7h · first reportShare

UAE clubs had mixed fortunes on the opening night of the league phase of the AFC Champions League Elite. Shabab Al Ahli secured all three points with a 1-0 victory at home over Iranian side Tractor. Al Wasl didn't fare quite as well, though, going down 2-1 to Al Qadsiah in Saudi Arabia. Yuri Cesar's opportunistic strike on 22 minutes settled the tie in Shabab Al Ahli's favour at the Rashid Stadium. Last season's semi-finalists began the match on the front foot, with Iranian striker Sardar Azmoun seeing a seventh-minute header ruled out for offside. Rikelme then rattled the bar from 35 yards out as Shabab Al Ahi intensified their attacks. They made the breakthrough when Cesar capitalised on a mistake by Tractor captain Shojae Khalilsadeh. The Brazilian-born UAE international pounced on the loose ball and steered his shot past goalkeeper Parsa Jafari and into the bottom right. Fellow Dubai club Al Wasl found the going much tougher on their travels, falling to goals from Julian Quinones a