LONDON: Spain’s decorated midfielder Xavi Hernandez is wary of Saudi Arabian powerhouse Al-Ahli ahead of their AFC Champions League second-round clash with Al-Sadd on Monday.
The Qatari team, who were champions in 2011, take on the Jeddah giants on Monday in one of the ties of the round – and the former Barcelona star is looking forward to the first-leg clash against the sole survivors from the Kingdom.
“We know that this will be a tough game,” Xavi told Arab News. “Al-Ahli are a good team and Saudi Arabia is a strong football country but we are confident that if we work hard then we know can get past them and into the next round.”
The first leg is on Monday at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Doha while the second leg is a week later at King Abdullah Sports City. The tournament is divided into east and west geographical zones until the end of the competition in November.
“The important thing is that we perform to our best and work hard to ensure that Al Ahli can’t get into the game,” added Xavi who joined Al Sadd in 2015. “Whichever team makes it will deserve to do do so”
Al-Ahli finished top of Group A with four wins from six matches, but since they have suffered the agony of losing the Saudi Pro League title to Al-Hilal by a solitary point and also lost their coach, Fathi Al-Jabal replacing the fired Sergiy Rebrov.
“We are away in the first leg,” said Al Jabal in his press conference. “The important thing is to stay in touch and then we know that we can come back in the second leg. We know that we can do it. To be in the knockout stage is a great achievement. The most important point is however that we can compete against the best teams in the region.”
Elsewhere, Al-Jazira of the UAE host Iran’s Persepolis while Al-Ain, finalists in 2016, take on Al-Duhail of Qatar.
The eastern and western side of the draw takes place in September with teams from the two zones meeting only in the final in November.
Barca great Xavi expecting ‘tough game’ from Al-Ahli in knockout round of AFC Champions League
Barca great Xavi expecting ‘tough game’ from Al-Ahli in knockout round of AFC Champions League
- Al-Sadd and Al-Ahli to meet in last-16 clash in Doha
- Al-Ahli play for the first time since coach Rebrov was fired
Kane scores as Bayern deliver comeback romp over Leipzig
- The victory restores Bayern’s 11-point lead atop the ladder over second-placed Borussia Dortmund
- Leipzig took a first-half lead through Romulo, but Bayern kicked into gear after the break
LEIPZIG, Germany: Harry Kane scored his 21st goal of the Bundesliga season as Bayern Munich came from behind to win 5-1 at RB Leipzig on Saturday.
The victory restores Bayern’s 11-point lead atop the ladder over second-placed Borussia Dortmund, while continuing their record-breaking campaign.
Unbeaten Bayern have dropped just four points on their way to a record-equalling tally of 50 after 18 games. Bayern’s total of 71 goals scored is also a record at this stage of a German league season.
Leipzig took a first-half lead through Romulo, but Bayern kicked into gear after the break, Serge Gnabry, Kane, Jonathan Tah, Aleksandar Pavlovic and Michael Olize all scoring.
Bayern coach Vincent Kompany said Leipzig were “twice as good as we were” in the opening half, adding “but in the second-half — my god, the boys delivered.
“We weren’t afraid and we really went for it.”
Leipzig goalscorer Romulo said “we played 75 minutes really on top, then I don’t know what happened, we turned off our minds. We have to learn something out of that.”
Leipzig were strong early and broke through after 20 minutes when Romulo snuck past Bayern’s Tah to poke in an Antonio Nusa pass from close range.
The hosts were undone in the simplest fashion just after half-time. Dayot Upamecano picked Christoph Baumgartner’s pocket and fed Gnabry, who guided the ball into the bottom corner.
Bayern took the lead after 67 minutes, once again thanks to a Leipzig mistake.
Olize’s floated cross looked harmless until Ridle Baku lost his footing, allowing an unmarked Kane time and space to blast home.
With Leipzig’s resistance broken, Tah, Pavlovic and Olize all scored in the final 10 minutes, while Jamal Musiala returned late off the bench after a six-month injury absence.
- Can rescues Dortmund -
Earlier, an Emre Can penalty in the fifth minute of stoppage time saved Borussia Dortmund’s blushes in a 3-2 home win against lowly St. Pauli.
In the dying moments, VAR found a foul on Germany forward Maximilian Beier, bringing Dortmund captain Can to the spot.
“What a rollercoaster ride,” Can told Sky Germany.
“We need to do much better to settle things down and to convert our chances,” he added.
The hosts overcame a poor first half when Julian Brandt tapped in from close range just before the break. Having created the opener, Karim Adeyemi gave Dortmund a two-goal buffer in the 54th minute, converting a Fabio Silva assist.
Rock-bottom St. Pauli had won just once since September but fought back into the game when James Sands and Ricky-Jade Jones scored inside 10 minutes midway through the second half to stun the hosts.
Deep into stoppage time, Jones caught Beier on the edge of the penalty area, allowing Can to convert nervelessly from the spot.
Elsewhere, Hoffenheim’s Wouter Burger scored the only goal in a 1-0 home win over flailing Bayer Leverkusen to climb past Leipzig into third in the table.
Burger swung in an excellent free-kick after nine minutes to give the hosts the three points.
“That was an important one,” Burger said of his free-kick. “I was practicing them a bit this morning.”
Relegation candidates last season, Hoffenheim are on track to qualify for Europe’s top competition for just the second time in their history, having last done so under now-Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann in 2017/18.
Leverkusen have now lost four of their past six, falling three points behind the Champions League placings.
Cologne beat Mainz 2-1 at home, Wolfsburg played out a 1-1 home draw with Heidenheim and hosts Hamburg were held to a scoreless draw by Borussia Moenchengladbach.
