4/12/2006
afcchampionsleague.com

TEHRAN – Al Wahda recovered from two goals down to claim a valuable point away to Saba Battery and leave themselves in second place in Group C of the AFC Champions League.

A quickfire double from strike duo Maurito and Slavisa Mitrovic hauled the United Arab Emirates league champions level after Saba, thanks to strikes from Ali Ghasemian and Yadollah Akbari, looked to have made the game safe in the first half.

Al Wadha will be wondering how they left the Iranian capital with just a draw having dominated for much of the match.

It was the hosts who found themselves under pressure for the opening quarter of the game as their Dubai-based opponents pressed for the early goal.

Saba goalkeeper Almir Tolja had to be alert to the visitors' threat, not least a skidding effort from dangerman Ismail Matar.

And such was Al Wahda's dominance, veteran striker Ali Daei – Saba's only scorer in the ACL in the opening two games – was forced to help out with, at times, desperate defending from his team-mates.

But the game turned on its head in the 25th minute when, in virtually Saba's first attack, Ghasemian's powerful effort from distance flew into the net.

The lead was doubled four minutes later when Akbari's break from midfield was rewarded as he converted from close range.

A shell-shocked Al Wadha could not find a way back into the match before the interval, but returned in the second half determined to turn their promising play into goals.

On the hour, they had a foothold when pacy Angolan marksman Maurito was sent clear and found the bottom corner of Tolja's net with an angled drive.

And two minutes later, Al Wadha were level when Bosnian Mitrovic slid home to silence the home support and register his first ACL goal of the campaign.

The lively Matar came close to giving his side the lead when, shortly after Akbari's equaliser, he struck a post.

Al Wadha pressed for the winner, but eventually had to settle for a share of the spoils.