Al Shamal vs Al-Ittihad Club

Al Shamal came within four minutes of a landmark AFC Champions League opening win, only to be pegged back by Al Ittihad in the dying seconds at Al Bayt Stadium. The hosts had ridden their luck for long spells but made their resistance count with a second-half breakthrough, before the Saudi visitors produced a gut-punch equalizer to salvage a point. Baghdad Bounedjah broke the deadlock in the 63rd minute, turning home a chance set up by Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane to send the home crowd into raptures. Al Ittihad pushed hard for a response and dominated the ball for most of the night, but it wasn't until deep stoppage time that Georginio Wijnaldum steered in a leveler off a Steven Bergwijn assist in the 90+4th minute. Bounedjah was shown a yellow card in the 87th minute as tempers frayed late on, though the game stayed at eleven-a-side throughout. A share of the spoils leaves both sides with work to do in the group phase. Al Shamal will feel there was a maiden continental win slipping through their fingers, while Al Ittihad can take encouragement from a spirited late rally that rescued a difficult opening night on the road.