AFC Champions League Elite - Rodgers impressed with Al Qadsiah's resilience

Dammam: Brendan Rodgers applauded Al Qadsiah Club's resilience following their 2-1 win against Al Wasl FC in the AFC Champions League Elite 2026/27™ on Monday.

Saudi Arabia's Al Qadsiah controlled the tie but only found the breakthrough in the second half with Julian Quinones and Mateo Retegui finding the back of the net. Leandro Spadacio scored a late consolation for UAE's Al Wasl.

Rodgers said his side deserved to be applauded after securing victory in challenging conditions.

#ACLElite | Al Qadsiah Club (KSA) 2-1 Al Wasl FC (UAE)

"We played three matches in a tight timeframe amidst high temperatures and humidity. Given these conditions and fixture congestion, it was crucial to secure a win today to kick off our continental campaign.

"We are satisfied with our performances in the (Saudi Pro) League and tonight and the upcoming international break and improving weather, we will show even better form," said Rodgers.

The tactician said his decision to rotate the starting line-up proved the right approach.

"We chose to rotate and fielded five local players; resting certain individuals was important. We achieved the most vital objective, the win, which marks an excellent step in our debut Asian appearance," said Rodgers, whose side will next face Uzbekistan's Pakhtakor on October 12.

Al Wasl head coach Rui Vitoria admitted that his side came up short despite producing a good performance.

"We played a good, evenly matched first half; we were organised but lacked effectiveness in attack. In the second half, Al Qadsiah capitalised on our errors and scored twice.

"We improved and scored a late goal and generally, I am pleased with the performance but not satisfied with the result."

Al Wasl will look to bounce back when they host defending champions Al Ahli Saudi FC on October 12.

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