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Al Wahda Suffer Another Defeat

ABU DHABI — Al Wahda’s chances of advancing looks bleak after they suffered their third consecutive defeat in as many matches in the AFC Champions League at the Al Nahyan Stadium on Wednesday night.

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The 0-2 loss to Saudi Arabia’s Al Ittihad at home in Group B left the Abu Dhabi team with an even bigger mountain to climb. Al Wahda are bottom of the standings with no points after losing all their games. They had gone down to Iran’s Al Zobahan away by a solitary goal before being beaten 2-1 by Uzbekistan’s Bunyodkor at home.

Al Ittihad are third in the standings behind table toppers Al Zobahan and Bunyodkor with four points. Al Zobahan had blanked Bunyodkor 3-0 at home. Al Zobahan have seven points after two wins and a draw. Bunyodkor are a point behind after two wins and a loss.

Abdelmalik Ziaya scored in the 17^th minute, while midfielder Mohammed Noor Hawsawi added the second in the second minute of injury time, for Al Ittihad. The game took a bit of time to get warmed up but it was Al Ittihad who looked the better of the two teams in the first half. Two-time AFC Champions League winners and last year’s runners-up Al Ittihad went ahead in the 17^th minute through their Algerian forward Abdelmalik Ziaya. Abdelmalik Ziaya headed home after connecting to a Mohammed Noor Hawsawi cross from the right.

Al Ittihad, who had a disappointing start to their campaign, losing 0-3 to Bunyodkor before salvaging a 2-2 draw against Al Zobahan, took the foot off the pedal and were content on the solitary goal. Al Wahda sniffed a chance and piled on the pressure after the break with a couple of sorties into the rival goal. But luck was not on their side as a couple of chances went wide and some lacked the finishing touch.

Much against the run of play, Al Ittihad got their second goal in the second minute of added time.

Al Wahda’s next game is an away fixture against Al Ittihad at the Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium on March 30.

james@khaleejtimes.com