Taskhkent/Doha: It was good day for Qatari clubs in the AFC Champions League yesterday as both Lekhwiya and Al Sadd registered important victories.
In Taskhkent, a first-half penalty by Nam Tae-hee proved decisive as the Qatar Stars League champions secured a hard-fought 1-0 away win over Uzbek qualifiers Bunyodkor to move back into contention for a spot in the knockout phase.
However, in Doha, former AFC Player of the Year Khalfan Ibrahim scored twice as Al Sadd turned on the style and surged three points clear at the top of Group C after romping to a 6-2 win over Uzbek Cup holders Lokomotiv.
Tae-hee scored the only goal of the game in the 28th minute at the Bunyodkor Stadium after Muhammad Razaq had been brought down in the corner of the box by goalkeeper Akbar Turaev.
The visitors withstood intense pressure from the home side in the second half to hold on for the three points that moved them into second place in Group A, two points behind leaders Persepolis of Iran.
Al Sadd raced to a three-goal lead at the Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium. Ibrahim converted a 27th minute penalty before Hasan Al Haydos and Nadir Belhadj scored on counter-attacks late in the first half.
Ibrahim headed in his second of the game early in the second half and Abdelkarim Hassan and Grafite also got on the scoresheet for the 2011 champions while Damir Kojasevic and Jasur J. Hasanov netted consolation goals for the Uzbek side.
Al Sadd now have seven points from three games and a three-point advantage over second-placed Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia, who drew 0-0 with Foolad Khouzestan in Iran earlier yesterday.
Lokomotiv began the match with just a single point from their first two games but they made much of the early running and could have taken the lead in the 12th minute when Nemanja Janicic rose high in the six-yard box to meet an inviting cross from the right but could only send his header straight at goalkeeper Saad Al Sheeb.
That miss would prove costly when Al Sadd were awarded a penalty in the 27th minute after Shavkatjon Mulladjanov scythed down Hassan on the left edge of the Lokomotiv box. Ibrahim made no mistake from the spot, firing down the middle as goalkeeper Mamur Irkamov dived to his right.
Al Sadd extended their lead in the 34th minute when they caught the visitors on the counter-attack with Muriqui playing in Al Haydos who rifled the ball past Irkamov from the right edge of the box.
Belhadj then made it 3-0 in the 40th minute when he received the ball from Ibrahim on the left of the Lokomotiv box and curled a delightful effort into the far corner.
Lokomotiv were denied again when Hassan blocked a goal-bound effort by Temurkhuja Abdukholikov on the goalline right at the start of the second half and their misery was compounded when Al Sadd extended their lead in the 50th minute after Muriqui cut the ball back from the left byline for Ibrahim to head in his second goal of the game and third of the Group Stage.
Lokomotiv would pull a goal back in the 57th minute when substitute Damir Kojasevic curled in a delightful free-kick from 20 metres but two quick goals by the hosts would put the match well out of their reach.
THE PENINSULA
