Al-Sharjah settled for a draw with Al-Duhail…and maintained the chances of Asian qualification

A 1-1 draw ended the match against Al-Sharjah against its host Al-Duhail of Qatar, today, Monday, at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha, in the seventh round of the AFC Champions League for Elite Clubs.

Sharjah maintained its chances of qualifying for the next round, as it has one match remaining against the Uzbek team Nasaf on the 16th of this month, in the eighth and final round, which it will play at its home stadium in Sharjah.

Sharjah, which maintained its eighth position, raised its score to 8 points, which is the same score for Al Duhail, which in turn maintained its seventh position.

Sharjah wasted a valuable victory that was close to achieving, after taking the lead with the first goal before Al-Duhail equalized in the final minutes of the match.

The confrontation witnessed the first appearance of the Brazilian trio of Sharjah: Matheus Saldana, Rafael Pereira, and Leandrinho, with the team in the Asian Championship, after the club recently signed them.

Sharjah ended the first half with an empty goal, scored by Igor Kornado in the 41st minute from a penalty kick, which was awarded to player Luan Pereira after he was obstructed inside the penalty area, while Al Duhail equalized through Adel Boulbena in the 81st minute from a penalty kick, which was initially saved by goalkeeper Adel Al Hosani, before it was returned and scored.

The first half witnessed a clear rivalry between the two teams, and Al-Duhail almost took an early lead in the first minutes, when its player, Bubakary Soumare, missed a clear opportunity in the 11th minute, after his shot hit the post.

Sharjah started the first half better, and succeeded in translating its advantage by scoring the lead goal, while at the start of the second half they tried to add the second goal and decide the match, relying on quick transitions, while Al-Duhail sought to return to the atmosphere of the match and adjust the result, threatening goalkeeper Adel Al-Hosani with more than one shot.