Al-Ahli Cruises to 5-0 Victory Over Al-Shorta, Secures ACL Elite Knockout Spot

Defending champions Al-Ahli dominated Al-Shorta 5-0 in Baghdad on Monday, securing their place in the knockout rounds of the Asian Champions League Elite alongside Iran’s Tractor FC. Goals from Roger Ibanez, Ivan Toney, Galeno, Saleh Abu Al-Shamat, and Ziyad Al-Johani ensured a comfortable win for Matthias Jaissle’s side, who now sit on 13 points from six matches in the 12-team standings.

“We did well today and we go home with three points,” Ibanez said. “That’s the important part.”

Ibanez opened the scoring in the 30th minute, converting Toney’s cut-back, before the former Brentford striker doubled the lead shortly after the restart with a precise finish from a pass by Galeno. Galeno added a third from a tight angle, and Al-Shamat and Al-Johani completed the scoring in the closing stages, helping Al-Ahli bounce back from a surprise defeat to Sharjah FC last month.

Tractor FC also confirmed their progression to the knockout stage with a dramatic 2-1 win over Qatar’s Al-Duhail. Benjamin Bourigeaud had given Al-Duhail a 35th-minute lead from the penalty spot, but Shojae Khalilzadeh equalized before Amirhossein Hosseinzadeh scored a stoppage-time winner two minutes into added time. Tractor now have 14 points, sitting second behind Al-Hilal, who continued their winning streak with a 1-0 victory over Sharjah in the UAE. Malcom scored the decisive goal for Al-Hilal in the 81st minute, giving Simone Inzaghi’s side six consecutive wins and confirming their own progression to the next phase.

Al-Gharafa kept their qualification hopes alive with a late 87th-minute winner from Seydou Sano to beat UAE’s Al-Wahda 1-0. The victory lifted Al-Gharafa to six points in ninth place, while Al-Wahda, already qualified, slipped to fourth.

The top eight finishers in both the East and West groups of the league phase advance to the round of 16, scheduled for March. The quarterfinals, semifinals, and final will all take place in Saudi Arabia in April, promising high-stakes action for the region’s top clubs.

Al-Ahli’s comprehensive performance in Baghdad underscores their determination to defend their title, while Tractor’s last-minute triumph highlights the intensity of the group stage. With several teams still vying for knockout spots, the remaining matches in the Asian Champions League Elite are set to be closely contested.