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AFC Champions League Elite:
Tractor beaten by Al Ain, remains winless in league stage
Moroccan striker Houssine Rahimi scored the winner with 20 minutes remaining to help the home side maintain its perfect record and reach nine points in the league stage.
Tractor, meanwhile, languished in 13th place in the 16-team West Zone table with a single point, having lost 1-0 to Shabab Al Ahli in its opener before drawing 0-0 with Al Shamal a fortnight ago.
Al Ain started on the front foot at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, with Rahimi, Georgios Giakoumakis and Dorde Skoko ensuring that Tractor’s second-choice goalkeeper, Parsa Jafari, had a busy night. Jafari was filling in for injured Iranian international Alireza Beiranvand.
The home side broke the deadlock in the 21st minute through an unlikely source. Centre-back Ramy Rabia strode forward and unleashed a swerving left-footed shot from 30 yards that caught Jafari off guard and found the bottom corner.
Jafari was called into action again nine minutes later, coming quickly off his line to deny Rahimi before reacting to the Moroccan forward’s low strike from outside the box moments later.
The momentum Al Ain had built in the first half was nowhere to be seen at the start of the second period as Tractor came roaring back.
Fullback Danial Esmaeilifar rattled the post with a thunderous shot in the 55th minute. The rebound fell to Tibor Halilovic on the edge of the box, and the Croatian midfielder curled a spectacular effort past Eisa to equalize.
A stung Al Ain raised its game again and restored its lead through the prolific Rahimi, who escaped his marker at the back post to steer home Yahya Benkhaleq’s pinpoint cross from the right flank in the 70th minute.
The home side had opportunities to extend its lead, with substitute Erik twice finding himself in promising positions. However, Tractor captain Shoja Khalilzadeh used his experience to snuff out both threats as Al Ain settled for a narrow victory.
Despite the defeat, Tractor head coach Javad Nekounam believed his side deserved more from the game.
“We had watched Al Ain’s matches and knew their strengths. For around 70 minutes, we played better and forced them to defend. We created several chances, but Al Ain was professional and clever, and took its chances,” Nekounam said.
“We lost three key players before this match, while two others are injured. We also face travel difficulties and do not have enough players to compete under these conditions.”
Tractor will look to get off the mark when it takes on Uzbekistan’s PFC Neftchi in Muscat, Oman, on November 2.
Nekounam also expressed frustration at having to play home matches at neutral venues, saying: “If we were playing at home, 80,000 people would come to support us. We can beat any team on our own ground.”