Al-Ittihad defeated Neftchi Fergana 2-1 at the Istiqlol Stadium on Monday, with Youssef En-Nesyri scoring the winning goal in the 90th minute of their AFC Champions League Elite third-round match. According to Goal.com, the Moroccan forward settled a contest that had looked headed for a draw.
The result gave the Saudi club its first win of the group stage and lifted it to four points, provisionally seventh in the West Group standings. Neftchi Fergana, of Uzbekistan, remained on three points in ninth place.
Why it matters
The three points arrived at a useful moment for Al-Ittihad, which had drawn its first two matches of the continental campaign. Goal.com described the outcome as sparing the team further dropped points on its Asian journey and as a possible confidence boost for the rest of the tournament.
For Neftchi, the defeat was a harsh one. The hosts had taken the lead and stayed level deep into the second half, only to lose the match in its final minute. Having entered the night above their visitors in the table, they now sit below them.
The match also underlined how narrow the margins are in the competition's league phase, where a single late goal can move a club several places in the standings. Al-Ittihad's position in seventh is described by Goal.com as temporary, pending the rest of the round's fixtures.
A penalty, a header and a late strike
The evening started badly for Al-Ittihad. Neftchi went in front in the 17th minute through Jamshid Iskanderov from the penalty spot. Goal.com reports that the kick was awarded after a VAR review, which found a handball by Al-Ittihad forward Georges Elenikhina.
Rather than fold, the visitors kept pushing for an equaliser and got it in the 34th minute. Houssem Aouar, the Algeria international, met the chance with a header that beat the Neftchi goalkeeper and sent the teams into the break level. Goal.com described the goal as breathing new life into Al-Ittihad before half-time.
The second half developed into an open contest, with both sides creating chances in search of a decisive goal. As the clock ran down, a share of the points appeared the most probable outcome. En-Nesyri then found the breakthrough in the final minute of normal time, and his goal proved to be the last significant act of the match.
Goal.com characterised the Moroccan as the player who took the spotlight on the night, and his finish as a powerful strike. The report did not give further details of how the goal was constructed.
What to watch
Al-Ittihad's next fixture in the competition will show whether the late win becomes a turning point or a one-off rescue, while Neftchi will look to recover from a defeat that came so close to being a draw.
