Leaders-Mena magazine provided a live coverage for Saturday’s game between Al-Ahli and Japan’s Kawasaki Frontale in the final of the AFC Champions League Elite.
Fulltime: Al-Ahli 2-0 Kawasaki
Scorers: Galeno 35′, Franck Kessie 42′
Yellow cards:
Merih Demiral, Ziyad Al-Johani, Eduardo Mendy (Al Ahli)
Lineups:
Al-Ahli: Edouard Mendy; Ali Majrashi, Roger Ibañez, Merih Demiral, Ezgjan Alioski; Franck Kessié, Ziyad Aljohani, Wenderson Galeno (Gabri Vega 74), Riyad Mahrez; Roberto Firmino (Firas Al-Buraikan 74), Ivan Toney
Kawasaki Frontale: Louis Yamaguchi; Asahi Sasaki, Kota Takai, Yuichi Maruyama, Sota Miura (Sai van Wermeskerken 42); So Kawahara, Yuki Yamamoto (Yuto Ozeki 65), Akihiro Ienaga (Tatsuya Ito 65), Yasuto Wakizaka, Marcinho; Erison (Shin Yamada 46)
======================================================================
Fulltime
90+6′ Second half ends.
90+5′ Substitution for Al-Ahli: Fahad Al-Rashidi replaces Riyad Mahrez
90+3′
90+1′ Eduardo Mendy receives a yellow card for wasting time
90+1′
90′ The fourth official announces 5 minutes of added time
89′
88′
85′ Substitution for Al-Ahli: Alexsander replaces Ziyad Al-Johani
85′ Ziyad Al-Johani gets a yellow card for a bad foul.
84′ Substitution for Kawasaki: Hinata Yamauchi replaces So Kawahara
84′
82′
81′ Ziyad Al Johani wins a free kick for Al-Ahli in the defensive half.
81′
79′ Delay in match. Ibanez requires medical treatment, so the referee stops play and signals for the physio to come onto the pitch.
79′ Tatsuya Ito gets into a great position in the box after a pass, but sends his shot just wide of the left post. The ball goes out of play and Al-Ahli will have a goal kick
78′
77′
76′ Asahi Sasaki tries to slide the ball through to a teammate but it’s well blocked by a defender.
74′ Double Subs for Al-Ahli: Firas Al-Buraikan comes in for Roberto Firmino; Gabri Vega replaces Wenderson Galeno
72′ Asahi Sasaki delivers a long ball, but it lacks enough power to reach his teammates and is intercepted by one of the defenders.
69′ Galeno sends a cross into the box, but Louis Thebault-Yamaguchi comes off his line to gather the ball.
66′
65′ Double Subs for Kawasaki: Yuto Ozeki replaces Yuki Yamamoto; Tatsuya Ito comes in for Akihiro Ienaga.
64′
63′ Galeno crosses the ball into the box, but one of the defending players averts the threat.
61′ WHAT A CHANCE! Riyad Mahrez finds himself unmarked in a promising position after receiving a cross on the edge of the box and his attempt sails a whisker wide of the right post. The ball goes out of play and Kawasaki Frontale will have a goal kick.
61′ Ziyad Al-Johani connects with a pass but sees his shot from the edge of the box blocked.
60′ Just at the hour mark, Al-Ahli are leading the game in the score, they are in control of the match with 56% possession.
58′ WHAT A CHANCE! jumps for a cross and produces a fine header from near the penalty spot, but it goes a whisker over the bar! The ball is off of the pitch and it’s a goal kick for Al-Ahli.
57′ Asahi Sasaki attempts to find his teammate with a pass from outside the box, but the opposition’s defence is quick to react and thwarts the attack.
55′ Kawasaki’s Marcinho makes a strong challenge and Abdulrahman Al-Jassim blows for a foul.
54′
53′ Wonderful movement by Al-Ahli. The players are holding possession, mostly exchanging one-touch passes. They control the pace of the game now.
52′
51′ Kawasaki’s Marcinho goes on a solo run, but he fails to create a chance as an opposition player blocks him.
51′ Asahi Sasaki delivers a promising cross into the box, but Al-Ahli defense clear the danger.
50′ The Japanese side are trying to push forward seeking to sore to reduce the deficit, but Al-Ahli’s defense are standing firm.
48′ The linesman raises his flag as one of Al-Ahli’s Ivan Toney was in an offside position.
46′ Roberto Firmino wins a free kick for Al-Ahli in the defensive half.
46′ Second half begins.
46′ Substitution for Kawasaki: Shin Yamada replaces Erison
45+5′ First half ends.
45+3′ Riyad Mahrez sends in a cross from a long-range free kick. However, his effort lacks accuracy and the ball sails off the pitch. The ball goes out of play and Kawasaki Frontale will have a goal kick.
45+3′ Riyad Mahrez wins a free kick for Al-Ahli in the attacking half.
45+1′
45′ The fourth official announces 5 minutes of added time.
44 Merih Demiral gets a yellow card following a hand ball.
44′ Hand ball by Merih Demiral
43′
42′ Substitution for Kawasaki: Sai van Wermeskerken comes in for Sota Miura
(GOAL) Franck Kessie reacts well to a deflected cross from Roberto Firmino and places a close-range header beyond the keeper into the left of the goal.
42′ GOOAAL… Kessie doubles the score for Al-Ahli.
38′ Galeno lines up a shot from the edge of the box and goes for goal, but a defender well blocks the effort.
(GOAL) Great play by Roberto Firmino releases Galeno in space on the edge of the box. He spots the keeper off his line and coolly puts the ball into the top right corner.
35′ GOOAAL… Ahli score.
33′ WHAT A SAVE! Kawasaki keeper comes to the rescue again to stop Roberto Firmino from scoring with his left-footed shot from the right side of the box.
31′ Riyad Mahrez does well to dispossess the attacker with a slide tackle, but the referee blows his whistle for a foul on the left wing.
30′
30′ At the half-hour mark the game remains tied, though Al-Ahli are in control with 66% possession.
29′ Erison wins a free kick for Kawasaki in the defensive half.
29′ Throw in for Al-Ahli
27′ Goal kick for Al-Ahli.
22′ WHAT A SAVE! Kawasaki’s goalie denies Galeno from scoring with his right foot strike from outside the box.
21′ Attempt missed. Roberto Firmino’s header from the centre of the box goes wide following a corner.
20′ Corner for Al-Ahli, conceded by Asahi Sasaki.
19′ A precise pass to the edge of the box is well taken by Ibanez, whose instinctive shot towards goal flashes inches wide of the right post. The ball is off of the pitch and it’s a goal kick for Kawasaki.
19′ A thrilling game so far with both sides exchanging attacking opportunities.
17′ WHAT A CHANCE! Ivan Toney lost his marker inside the box, only to shoot just wide of the left post after receiving a good pass.
15′ Kawasaki’s Marcinho latches on to a pin-point through ball, but one of the defending players dispossess him. Brilliant defending.
14′ Riyad Mahrez races towards goal but the defender gets back well to make a challenge.
11′ Marcinho’s left-footed shot from a difficult angle on the left misses to the right.
11′ Attempt blocked. Marcinho’s left-footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Yuki Yamamoto.
10′ Ibañez wins a free kick for Al-Ahli in the defensive half.
9′ Marcinho wins a free kick for Kawasaki following a bad foul by Ali Majrashi.
6′ Erison wins a free kick in the defensive half.
6′ Attempt saved. Ziyad Al Johani’s right-footed shot from the right side of the six yard box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Ibañez.
5′ Al-Ahli’s Ivan Toney does well to control a poor pass on the edge of the box then shoots towards the right side of the goal. Louis Thebault-Yamaguchi is out of position but leaps to make a brilliant save. It will be a corner kick for the Jeddah giants
1′ The referee blows his whistle as Kawasaki’s Erison was too aggressive in his challenge.
1′ First half begins.
19:00 The players of both teams are warming up.
17:00 The game marks Al-Ahli’s third final, as they return to the AFC Champions League final for the first time since their 2012 loss to Ulsan Hyundai.
16:00 On the other hand, Kawasaki Frontale managed to win nine games but lost three through the competition, scoring 27 goals and conceding 9.
15:00 Under German coach Matthias Jaissle, the Jeddah giants boast an impressive 12-game unbeaten run through the Asian prestigious competition, scoring 32 goals and conceding 10.
14:00 The Japanese side advanced to the final after they tunned Al-Nassr 3-2 in the semifinals, ousting Cristiano Ronaldo and co.’s side.
13:00 Al-Ahli stormed into the final by defeating rivals Al Hilal 3-1 in the semifinals, thanks to goals from attacking trio Roberto Firmino, Ivan Toney, and Feras Al-Buraikan.
12:00 Jeddah giants Al-Ahli are just one step of making history when they take on Kawasaki Frontale of Japan in the AFC Champions League Elite final on Saturday, seeking their maiden continental trophy.
Venue: Alinma Stadium (Jeddah)
Referee: Abdulrahman Al-Jassim (Qatar)
Check the match preview HERE
Short link :
Post Views: 451