AFC Champions League Elite
The Dutch midfielder stole in to score deep into added time and cancel out Baghdad Bounedjah’s 63rd minute strike, which had looked like it would earn the Qatari side a dream debut in their first-ever appearance in the continental championship.
But Al Shamal, who qualified for the AFC Champions League Elite for the first time with a runners-up finish in the QSL last season, had been forced to defend desperately in the dying moments against the 2004 and 2005 champions and Wijnaldum eventually struck.
The visitors had made a positive start with Babacar Seck shovelling Dion Lopy’s early strike from outside the area to partial safety, forcing Musaab Khidir to knock the ball out for a corner while the Al Shamal goalkeeper gathered Ahmed Al Ghamdi’s weak shot soon after.
It was the home side that went closest to opening the scoring in the 16th minute when Mohamed Ben Romdhane received possession inside the penalty area from Alex Collado, quickly turning to unleash a rising right-foot shot that clipped the top of the crossbar.
Al Shamal hit the frame of the goal again with 12 minutes remaining in the half, Baghdad Bounedjah’s crossing from the right towards the near post from where Wesley Said threw himself at a header that thumped against the woodwork.
Steve Bergwijn tested Seck from distance two minutes from the end of the half with a low shot that the Al Shamal goalkeeper was fortunate to push to safety after miss-timing his intervention.
MD1: Al Shamal SC (QAT) v Al Ittihad Club (KSA)
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Al Shamal’s Callado was denied by Predrag Rajkovic eight minutes after the restart when the Spanish midfielder cut back onto his right foot to shoot towards goal but, by the 63rd minute,Georgin the home side had gone ahead.
Bounedjah shuttled possession to Ben Romdhane and, after surging into the penalty area, the Al Shamal captain received a return pass that set him up to fire the ball beyond Rajkovic.
Wijnaldum and Bergwijn both went close to pulling Al Ittihad level while Ben Romdhane had the ball in the Al Ittihad net again only for his effort to be ruled out for offside.
But Wijnaldum calmly stroked in the equaliser from just inside the penalty area in the fourth minute of stoppage time after Bergiwjn’s cutback from the left side to salvage a point for Jens Wissing’s side.
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