By Michael Church
(Reuters) – Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr completed a late fight-back to book their place in the group stage draw for the Asian Champions League with Anderson Talisca scoring twice in a 4-2 win over Shabab Al-Ahli of the United Arab Emirates in Riyadh on Tuesday.
Talisca gave Al-Nassr an 11th-minute lead when he headed in Marcelo Brozovic’s corner, but goals in the 18th and 46th minutes from Yahya Al Ghassani put the 2015 runners-up ahead and left the big-spending Saudis at risk of exiting the competition.
However, Sultan Al Ghannam’s 88th-minute header levelled the scores and Talisca nodded in his second in the fifth minute of injury time to put Al-Nassr back in front.
Brozovic then sealed the win two minutes later with a low strike from the edge of the penalty area as Al-Nassr confirmed their place in Thursday’s draw.
Uzbekistan’s Navbahor also progressed to the next round with a 1-0 win over 10-man Al-Wakrah from Qatar, Doniyor Abdumannopov scoring the game’s only goal eight minutes into extra time after Khaled Youssef Shurrab was sent off.
Navbahor will be joined in the draw by Sharjah from the UAE, who handed their Iranian hosts Tractor FC a 3-1 defeat in Tabriz.
Shaheen Abdalla and Ousmane Camara gave Cosmin Olaroiu’s side a two-goal lead and, while Mehdi Hashemnejad pulled one back with four minutes remaining, Caio Lucas put the result beyond doubt from the penalty spot in the last minute.
AGMK, also from Uzbekistan, completed the group stage line-up after Ruben Sanchez’s 69th-minute goal sealed a 1-0 win over Qatari outfit Al-Arabi.
(Reporting by Michael Church, Editing by Toby Davis)
