Exposito gave Al Ahli a dream start, timing his run to beat the Al Hussein defence’s hesitant efforts to play offside and meet Draxler’s lofted delivery from the left with a clinical diving header.

Exposito unlocked the Al Hussein defence again 10 minutes later, clipping his pass to Sekou Yansane but the forward’s attempt to slot the ball into the bottom corner was kept out by a fine save from Yazeed Abdulaila as he dived to his left.

By the 21st minute Al Hussein had pulled level. Yousef Abu Jalboush's in-swinging cross from the right was met by Ashley Coffey’s glancing header and, while the ball thumped off the post, the unmarked Qashi coolly slotted in the rebound.

Abdulaila raced off his line eight minutes into the second half to deny Vlap the opportunity to restore Al Ahli’s lead but, as the halfway point in the second half approached, the Al Hussein goalkeeper was caught out to put Al Ahli back in front.

Former Schalke 04 and Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Draxler bent his corner from the Al Ahli left towards goal and Abdulaila, having misread the flight of the ball, could only make the slightest connection with his fingertips as the ball curled into the goal.

Al Hussein’s Aref Al Haj almost responded immediately when his low strike from 25 yards required Marwan Badreldin to dive at full stretch to his right to palm the ball to safety while Yansane was denied a third for Al Ahli by Abdulaila at the other end.

Pedro Henrique went close to an equaliser in the 90th minute but a foul on substitute Suhaib Gannan by Obieda Al Namarnah earned Al Ahli a penalty that Vlap calmly stroked home after Abdulaila had dived to his right to confirm the Qatari side’s progress.