ACL Elite West: Al Ain stay perfect as late En-Nesyri free kick earns Al-Ittihad first win

Al Ain kept their perfect start to the AFC Champions League Elite with a 2-1 home win over Tractor on Monday, while Youssef En-Nesyri's 90th-minute free kick handed Al-Ittihad their first victory of the campaign. Matchday three in the West Region produced five results on Monday night, but the headline fixture between Al Nassr and Al Wasl in Riyadh did not go ahead after it was postponed by the Asian Football Confederation.

Rahimi keeps Al Ain on maximum points

At Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium, Ramy Rabia gave Al Ain the lead in the 21st minute before Tibor Halilovic levelled for the Iranian side Tractor ten minutes after the break. Moroccan forward Houssine Rahimi settled it with 20 minutes to play, sending the Emirati club to nine points from three matches. Al Ain have scored ten and conceded two in the league stage so far.

Tractor have just one point from their three games, leaving them with work to do in the 16-team West Region.

En-Nesyri's late strike rescues Al-Ittihad

Al-Ittihad had a difficult night in Uzbekistan before turning it around against Neftchi Fergana. Jamshid Iskandarov put the hosts ahead from the penalty spot after 17 minutes, following a handball by George Ilenikhena as he tried to clear a corner. Houssem Aouar headed the Saudi side level in the 34th minute from a Steven Bergwijn cross.

The winner arrived in the final minute of normal time, when En-Nesyri curled in a free kick from around 25 yards. It was a first win in the competition for coach Jens Wissing, who took charge in the summer. Al-Ittihad had drawn 1-1 with Al-Shamal and lost 2-1 at home to Shabab Al-Ahli in their first two games, so the result takes them to four points.

Toney and Goncalves lift Al-Ahli

In Jeddah, Al-Ahli also left it late against Al-Gharafa. Ivan Toney opened the scoring after only four minutes, but Florinel Coman equalised for the Qatari visitors in the 53rd minute. Al-Gharafa's task became harder when Seydou Sano was sent off for a second booking, and Matheus Goncalves struck the winner in the 86th minute.

Al-Ahli now have seven points, while Al-Gharafa remain without a point after three matches.

Elsewhere, Julian Quinones salvaged a 1-1 draw for Al Qadsiah against Al Sadd. Akram Afif had put the Qatari side in front in the 74th minute before Quinones, who was ranked 28th in the men's Ballon d'Or voting announced on the same night, equalised six minutes from time. Iraq's Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya beat Pakhtakor 1-0 through Saad Abdulameer's 70th-minute goal.

Why Al Nassr v Al Wasl was called off

The meeting between Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr and Dubai club Al Wasl was postponed after Al Wasl were unable to travel to Riyadh because of a lack of available flights. The AFC said a new date and kick-off time would be confirmed in due course, which means both clubs now carry a game in hand.

Two more West Region fixtures are scheduled for Tuesday: Al-Shamal against Al-Hilal, and Shabab Al-Ahli against Esteghlal. Matchday four in the West follows on 2-3 November, with Al-Hilal hosting Shabab Al-Ahli and Al Sadd hosting Al-Ahli among the ties.

Key takeaways

• Al Ain beat Tractor 2-1 to make it three wins from three matches.
• Youssef En-Nesyri's 90th-minute free kick gave Al-Ittihad a 2-1 win at Neftchi Fergana.
• Al-Ahli beat 10-man Al-Gharafa 2-1 with an 86th-minute goal from Matheus Goncalves.
• Al Nassr v Al Wasl was postponed because of travel problems; no new date has been set.
• Al-Hilal and Shabab Al-Ahli play their matchday three games on Tuesday.

FAQ

Why was Al Nassr's match against Al Wasl postponed? Al Wasl could not travel to Riyadh due to a lack of available flights, and the AFC has yet to confirm a new date.

Who are top of the ACL Elite West Region? Al Ain have the maximum nine points from three matches, with Al-Ahli on seven. Al-Hilal and Shabab Al-Ahli play their third games on Tuesday.

When is the next ACL Elite West matchday? Matchday four in the West Region is scheduled for 2 and 3 November 2026.

Sources: Arab News, The Sports Encounter, Gulf News, Wikipedia