Tribune News Network
Doha
Al Rifaa of Bahrain struck once in each half to upstage Qatar’s Al Arabi 0-2 in Round 2 Group B match of the Gulf Club Champions League at the Khalifa Sports City Stadium in Manama on Tuesday.
Abbas Al Asfoor scored the opening goal for the Bahrain side in the 42nd minute while substitute Mohammad Al Hallaq doubled the lead in the 59th minute.
Their first win of the tournament saw Al Rifaa move to second spot in the group with 3 points while Al Arabi slipped to 4th place with a solitary point gained from an earlier draw. Saudi Arabia’s Al Ettifaq are on top with 6 points, and Kuwait’s Al Qadsia are third with 1 point.
The hosts made a robust start to the game even before Al Arabi could find their rhythm. In the very 4th minute of the match, Al Rifaa’s Brazilian midfielder Vinicius Vargas broke through and went on to hit the crossbar.
Buoyed by the charge, Al Rifaa kept attacking but were met with resistance. Their repeated efforts however bore fruits three minutes before regulation time of the opening half when Al Asfoor slotted home on a volley after Vargas had back flipped a cross from Hussain Al Eker.
In the second session, Al Rifaa substituted Mohammad Al Hallaq and he also soon paid dividends seizing on a chance inside the danger area to move right and past three Al Arabi defenders before striking to rattle the net.
In the 68th minute, Al Rifaa almost scored a third goal but a forward stumbled over the ball after being in front of an empty goal.
Substitute Abdulaziz Khalid, who came in in the 90th minute, also found the crossbar in closing moments as he floated one from the left.
Al Arabi were off-colour and failed to make any threatening attack. They did make sporadic forays but lacked in finish. In the 66th minute, they earned a free from just outside the box but the attempt sailed just over.
The third round matches of the tournament will be played round on November 26th and 27th. The fourth round on December 3 and 4, fifth on February 4 and 5, 2025, and the sixth and final round of group stage are scheduled for February 18 and 19, 2025.
The tournament has returned after a gap of nine years since the last edition in 2015 when UAE’s Al Shabab emerged as the champions. This time, eight teams, divided into two groups, are competing on a home-and-away basis. The top two sides from each group will qualify for the semi-finals.