Qatar- Al Sadd fight back to hold Foolad Al Rayyan draw in Goa

(MENAFN - The Peninsula) AFC.COM | The Peninsula Boualem Khoukhi led a brilliant comeback by Qatar football giants Al Sadd against Iran's Foolad yesterday as the two teams shared points in a thrilling one-all draw in Riyadh in their opening AFC Champions League Group fixture. Al Sadd started strongly by pressing Foolad into their own half, but the Iranian side were able to hold their ground as they eventually pushed the Qataris back, setting the stage for an exciting tie. The Qatar Stars League champions made multiple inroads into the final third with Rodrigo Tabata testing Foolad goalkeeper Mohsen Foroozan with a long range strike in the 20th minute. Foolad did have their moments but Brazilian striker Chimba, who scored twice against Al Ain in the playoff, was unable to have an early influence on the proceedings. Foolad came closest in the 38th minute when Zobeir Niknafs let loose a strike from outside the box but Al Sadd custodian Meshall Barsham tipped the ball over the bar. The deadlock continued well into the second half but with a noticeable change in Foolad's approach, who were now on the front foot. Their aggression paid off in the 61st minute as Mehran Derakshan delivered a curling cross into the box which Boualem Khoukhi cleared but a prowling Chimba rose high to head home to hand Foolad the lead. Al Sadd immediately shifted gears and came close 10 minutes later when a string of passes led to substitute Ali Asad on goal but the midfielder was caught offside. Foolad were reminded not to underestimate Al Sadd's ability to make a comeback with Khoukhi testing goalkeeper Foroozan with his free-kick in the 81st minute, but he would not miss seven minutes later when he found the back of the net with his strike from inside the box, with Baghdad Bounedjah picking up the assist. Al Sadd will take on hosts Al Nassr next on Saturday, while Foolad will face Al Wehdat. Elsewhere, in India, hosts FC Goa kicked off their AFC Champions League debut with a 0-0 draw against Qatar's Al Rayyan in a Group E tie at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. The draw means FC Goa and Al Rayyan are third in Group E, two points behind Islamic Republic of Iran's Persepolis FC, who defeated Al Wahda of UAE 1-0 in their match earlier yesterday. Next on the cards for Al Rayyan will be last year's AFC ChampMENAFN15042021000063011010ID1101920646