AFC Champions League Elite: Tractor defeats Al Gharafa [VIDEO]
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Loading...AFC – AL RAYYAN, Al Gharafa SC’s hopes of reaching the AFC Champions League Elite 2025/26™ Round of 16 ended in tatters following a 2-0 defeat to Tractor FC on Tuesday.
The opportunity to earn qualification was there to be taken following fellow Qatari side Al Sadd SC’s 4-1 defeat to Saudi Arabia’s Al Ittihad Club but Pedro Martins’ side could not raise their game to find the much needed three points.
Victory for Tractor saw the Islamic Republic of Iran side finish third in the standings on 17 points, setting up a Round of 16 tie against United Arab Emirates’ Shabab Al Ahli.
Al Gharafa went into the game knowing they had to win to extend their stay in the competition but it was Tractor who controlled the early proceedings with Tibor Halilovic and Odiljon Xamrobekov dominant in midfield.
The cagey game, however, saw few chances created with Halilovic’s weak strike trickling into the arms of Khalifa Ababacar while Florinel Coman’s free-kick dipped wickedly but it was straight at Alireza Beiranvand.
In the final moments of the first half, Tractor broke on the counter with Regi Lushkja combining with Amirhossein Hosseinzadeh which saw the former with space in the box to shoot, only for Seydou Sano to produce a wonderful block.
The second half saw an increase in tempo with Tractor going close in the 52nd minute when Mohammad Naderi’s cross from the left found Lushkja but the Albanian midfielder sliced his effort over the bar.
Al Gharafa responded with a looping header from Ferjani Sassi which Beiranvand caught right under his crossbar before the Iranian international watched nervously as he let a Coman shot slip through his grasp but luckily for him, the ball rolled just wide of the post.
The deadlock was broken in the 61st minute when Al Gharafa failed to clear their lines, with Mahdi Hashemnezhad sweeping home the rebound after Ababacar had palmed away Lushkja’s initial attempt.
Tractor put the game to bed in the 81st minute when Hosseinzadeh pounced on a cutback from Masoud Zaerkaemayn, shimmied away from Aron Gunnarsson’s challenge before firing the ball into the top corner.
