AFC Champions League Two: Al Taawoun’s control thrills Arruabarrena

Baghdad: Rodolfo Arruabarrena heaped praise on his Al Taawoun players after they produced a controlled performance to defeat Air Force SC 1-0 in their final AFC Champions League Two™ 2024/25 Group B match on Wednesday.

Andrei Girotto’s goal early in the second half turned out to be the difference as Al Taawoun secured their passage to the knockout stage as group winners, three points ahead of Bahrain’s Al Khaldiya SC.

#ACLTwo | Group B: Air Force SC (IRQ) 0 - 1 Al Taawoun FC (KSA)

"I congratulate the players for this performance and effort on the field despite the circumstances we faced in the match,” said the Spaniard.

"In the first half, the competition was strong between the two teams but as the game progressed, I believe that we controlled the match and created many opportunities, and we were able to score and achieve victory.

"This victory is important, as qualification is important for the club in order to continue our journey in the championship.”

Despite almost equal ball possession, Al Taawoun’s dominance in the final third was key to their success.

While creating 17 shooting opportunities, the Saudi Pro League limited Air Force to just two attempts on target as the Iraqi side struggled to impose themselves in front of their own fans.

After an impressive group stage, Arruabarrena will go into the knockout stage draw in Kuala Lumpur on December 12 with confidence that Al Taawoun have the quality to challenge for the title.

Al Taawoun’s control thrills Arruabarrena

Group B - MD6: Air Force SC (IRQ) 0-1 Al Taawoun FC (KSA)

Group B - MD6: Al Khaldiya SC (BHR) 4-0 Altyn Asyr FC (TKM)

Group A - MD6: Al Wakrah SC (QAT) 0-2 FC Ravshan (TJK)

Group D - MD6: Kuwait SC (KUW) 2-2 Al Hussein (JOR)

Group D - MD6: Shabab Al Ahli (UAE) 3-2 PFC Nasaf (UZB)