QNA
Al Sadd drew 1-1 with Saudi Arabia's Al Qadsiah on Monday at Prince Mohammed bin Fahd Stadium in the third round of the West Zone league phase of the AFC Champions League Elite.
Akram Afif put Al Sadd ahead in the 74th minute, only for Julian Quinones to equalise 10 minutes later to take Al Qadsiah to five points, while Al Sadd earned their first point after back-to-back defeats.
Al Qadsiah's first chance came in the 13th minute when Mohammed Al Qahtani sent his effort from inside the area narrowly wide after a fine build-up, the AFC website reported.
Al Sadd responded a minute later, with Mohamed Camara sending Afif through on goal. Shadowed by Al Qadsiah's Ahmed Al Siyahi, the two-time AFC Player of the Year tried his luck from distance, but his effort drifted just wide of the left post.
The Qatari side came close to breaking the deadlock in the 21st minute, with Claudinho setting up Afif to break into the box but the Al Qadsiah defence intercepted his cross towards Roberto Firmino.
Al Qadsiah threatened again in the 38th minute, with Mateo Retegui setting up Quinones, whose effort from inside the box narrowly missed the target before Quinones set-up Suleman Sani six minutes later, only for the Nigerian midfielder to pull his effort narrowly wide.
Brendan Rogers' side carried their threat into the second half, with Quinones heading just wide from Julain Weigl's corner in the 51st minute, while Yasser Al Shahrani then sent his long-range effort over the bar.
A swift counter-attack presented Al Sadd with two chances in quick succession, Afif surged into the box but shot wide in the 64th minute before Mohammad Al Manai sent his effort over the bar a minute later.
Al Sadd kept probing and were rewarded with the opener in the 74th minute with Afif finding space before unleashing a powerful curling effort into the top right corner to end the Qatari side's wait for a goal in the League Stage.
But Al Qadsiah refused to give up and levelled the tie 10 minutes later with Bonsu Baah laying the ball nicely for Quinones, whose shot took a deflection off Tarek Salman before crossing past a rooted Meshaal Barsham.