Dubai: Al Wasl went top of Group D in the GCC Champions League on Tuesday night after goals from Mariano Donda, Rashid Eisa and Juan Olivera secured a 3-1 home win over Al Riffa of Bahrain at Zabeel Stadium.
Diego Maradona’s Al Wasl went ahead through Mariano Donda via an 11th minute free kick 20 yards out. Rashid Eisa then picked out Saoud Saeed’s cross pea-rolling along the goal mouth on 27 minutes before Khalifa Abdullah threaded Juan Manuel Olivera through on goal and round the keeper for the third on 34 minutes.
Riffa started a better second half pulling one back on 52 minutes through Talal Yousuf who controlled Abdullah Abdi’s cross and struck neatly beyond Ahmad Mahmoud’s grasp.
The ball then appeared to cross the line for Al Wasl on 59 minutes after Olivera’s effort hit the post struck the back of keeper Hamad Mohammad and rolled across the goal line without declaration. Olivera then headed off the bar on 71 minutes as the home side again came close but Al Wasl’s three points were safe regardless.
An earlier win in the group for Al Wasl over Oman’s Al Nahda 2-0, while Riffa beat Nahda 3-1 sees Maradona’s team favourites to progress with the dream of silverware this season still on despite the club falling short on domestic league and cup competitions.
Elsewhere Al Jazira beat Qatar’s Al Rayyan 3-2 at home in their Asian Champions League group game. Goals from Ricardo Oliveira on eight minutes, Ebrahim Diaky on 53 and Abdullah Moosa on 56 were enough to see off a late scramble from the defending champions via Daniel Goma on 65 and Fabio Montezine on 78.
Bani Yas meanwhile drew 1-1 away to Uzbekistan’s Pakhtakor after Mohammad Fawzi’s 60th minute equalizer cancelled out Schofrechinov’s 28 minute opener.
