Milojevic emphasised his team’s control of the game and remained confident of his side’s chances in the return leg.

“I think we played a really good game and were the better team throughout,” said Milojevic. “We allowed a strong Al Sadd side only two chances, but unfortunately, the second one proved costly for us. Overall, I believe we performed very well.”

“In both directions, we were well-positioned, and our ball movement was good. With a bit of luck, we could have been in a better position heading into the next match.

"I had a feeling that everything would be decided in the return leg. It's not an easy task, but if we want to advance, we have to win there. It doesn’t matter whether it happens in regular time, extra time, or any other way – winning is the only option. I'm happy with the players’ performance, and I think we were the better side today."

Al Sadd head coach Felix Sanchez, meanwhile, acknowledged the challenges his side faced but took positives from their second half performance.

“As I expected, the match was close and strong between the two teams. We conceded a difficult goal in the first half and we could have dealt with the ball that went in better,” said Sanchez.

“In the second half, we controlled the match and had possession of the ball. Yes, we lost two substitutions due to injury and we will see how we can recover the injured players during the coming period. We changed our organisation a little and did not allow them to play from the depth. Their attacks came mostly from the flanks, and we were able to deal with them better.

“The 1-1 draw leaves everything open for the second leg in Doha. In such matches, small details make the difference, and we have to control as many things as possible. In the next match, we will try to have greater control throughout the match.”