The Asian Champions League Elite brought plenty of action this week. Coaches and players with European roots are making their mark. We saw some dramatic matches unfold across the continent. Portuguese managers, in particular, had mixed results in the second round.
Pedro Martins found himself in a good spot after a tough start. His Al Gharafa squad bounced back nicely. They hosted Iraq’s Al Shorta and grabbed a solid 2-0 victory. This win came after they stumbled in their first match against Al Sharjah. Joselu broke the deadlock in the 48th minute. Sassi then doubled their lead just six minutes later. Both goals came thanks to brilliant passes from Brahimi, a player familiar to Porto fans. It was a crucial home win for them.
Things did not go quite as well for José Morais and Al Wahda. His team from the United Arab Emirates couldn’t keep their winning streak alive. They had a tough away game in Iran against Tractor. The match ended in a goalless draw. Al Wahda had won their opening fixture. Morais gave Ruben Amaral a starting spot. Bernardo Folha later joined the action in the 85th minute. Guga, another team member, remained on the bench.
Meanwhile, Al Hilal, the Saudi powerhouse, kept their perfect record intact. They secured a tight 3-2 win when visiting Nasaf in Uzbekistan. Ruben Neves started for Al Hilal. João Cancelo, however, was out due to an injury. Former Benfica star Marcos Leonardo scored the winning goal in the 79th minute. Milinkovic-Savic had put Al Hilal ahead in the 21st minute. Theo Hernández added another goal just before halftime, at 45’+3. These results leave Al Hilal with a perfect six points in the standings.