Al Gharafa Lose to Al Shabab in AFC Champions League

Doha, May 14 (QNA) - Nasser Al Shamrani struck seven minutes from time as Al Shabab came back from a goal down to hand Qatar's Al Gharafa a 2-1 defeat in the first leg of their AFC Champions League Round of 16 meeting on Tuesday. Saudi international Al Shamrani scored with a confident finish after Sebastian Tagliabue had levelled the scores for Al Shabab following Mark Bresciano's opener for the home side three minutes prior to the half-time interval. The two teams will meet in the second leg in Riyadh next week with the Saudi champions holding the lead as well as the advantage of two away goals. Al Gharafa started the game in impressive fashion, with Alex (Alex Raphael Meschini) sending his fourth minute header just wide of Waleed Abdullahs goal while, four minutes later, a cross-cum-shot from Nene (Anderson Luiz de Carvalho) flew agonisingly between the target and the late run of Alex. Al Shabab managed to weather that early storm and, as the half wore on, Michel Preudhommes side established a foothold, with Marcelo Camacho shooting just wide eight minutes before the break when referee Kim Jong-hyeok awarded the Saudis an free kick after goalkeeper Qasem Burhan was judged to have held on to the ball beyond the regulation six seconds. Four minutes later, Camacho again tried his luck, but Burhan was on hand on this occasion to keep his effort out. Less than a minute later, however, Al Gharafa were in front. Djibril Cisse headed the ball across goal and Bresciano pushed his shot over the line, despite the vain attempt by Naif Al Qadi to clear to safety. Ten minutes after the restart, however, Al Shabab were back on level terms when Tagliabue signed at the end of last season from Al Ettifaq after impressing in the AFC Cup headed the ball down to Fernando Menegazzo, whose return pass resulted in the Argentinian curling the ball beyond Burhan and into the far corner of the net. In the 65th minute, Fernando almost put his side in front, only for Burhan to keep the ball out, but there was little the goalkeeper could do about Al Shamrani's winner in the 83rd minute. The Saudi international raced onto a through ball that caught the home defence sleeping and his measured right-foot strike was comfortably beyond the reach of Burhan, ensuring Al Shabab go into the second leg with an advantage to defend. (QNA)