Al Gharrafa (1) [Bresciano 42’]
Al Shabab (2) [Tagliabue 55’, Al Shamrani 83’]
Al Gharrafa failed to hold a 1-0 first half lead and now will face an uphill task against their opponents in the return leg in Riyadh.
The Leopards took the lead thee minutes before the break when French striker Djibril Cisse’ headed back George Kwesi’s cross to the path of Mark Bresciano, and the Australian international made no mistake from close range.The home side could have ended the first half with a comfortable lead, but they failed to take their chances. Nene’, who joined the team in the summer break from French side PSG, wasted an easy opportunity earlier in the half.
Al Gharrafa’s defense looked exhausted during the second half and the visitors leveled the score ten minutes after the break through Sebastian Tagliabue, then seven minutes before the final whistle substitute Nasser Al Shamrani made a dazzling run into the box before easily slotting the ball past Qassim Burhan for the winner.
Al Jaish (1) [Anderson 76’]
Al Ahli (1) [Al Musa 45’]
Last year’s finalists Ahli Jeddah were clearly the better side in the first half but Al Jaish goalkeeper Ahmed Sofian was in top form pulling a number of brilliant saves before finally conceding Mutaz Al Musa’s towering header in the final minute.Al Ahli (1) [Al Musa 45’]
Despite lacking the experience of continental competitions, Al Jaish leveled the score in the second half to keep alive their hopes of making the quarter finals in their first ever AFC Champions League, thanks to a powerful low drive from their captain Anderson who took advantage of the visitors’ slack defending.
Not a bad result for “The Maroon Battalion” but the return leg in Jeddah in front of Al Ahli's passionate crowds will be the ultimate test for their Romanian coach Razvan Lucescu.
Al Hilal (0)
Lekhwiya (1) [Msakni 82’]
Lekhwiya (1) [Msakni 82’]
They may have failed to win their third straight league title this season, but the “Red Troopers” surely recorded their biggest ever continental result on Wednesday when they defeated Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh with a single goal from Youssef Msakni.
Al Hilal is considered by many as the club of the century in Asia, winning the continent’s top club competition twice before the introduction of the AFC Champions League.And to add insult to injury, their defeat came against a team led by their former coach, Eric Gerets. The 58-year-old Belgian led the Saudi club to a league and Crown prince Cup double in 2010, before leaving to take over the Moroccan national team.
With Madjid Bougherra at his best, Lekhwiya’s defense was quite impressive and the home side’s front line created only few real chances, until the final few minutes that saw Tunisia international Msakni scoring the winning goal for Lekhwiya with a great individual effort.