Monterrey beat Al Sadd 3-2 to qualify for semis
DOHA: Monterrey of Mexico overcame Qatar Stars League winners Al Sadd 3-2 in the second round on Saturday night to qualify for the FIFA Club World Cup semifinals here at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium.
Leonel Vangioni (23rd minute), Rogelio Funes (46’) and Carlos Rodriguez (77’) were on target for the Mexican side.
Baghdad Bounedjah (66’), who headed home Hassan Al Haidous cross, and Abdelkarim Hassan (89’) reduced the margin for Sadd.
The CONCACAF (North America, Central America and the Caribbean confederation) winners will face European champions Liverpool on December 18.
The other semis on December 17 will see AFC Champions League champions Al Hilal take on Flamengo.
Leonel, 32, put Monterrey in the lead with a thunderous left-footed shot that kissed the far post before nestled into the net
It was a lightning strike by ‘Rayados’ defender that shook the confidence of Sadd.
Gabi’s horrendous blunder
Rogelio showed exuberance and opportunism after he increased the lead in the added time of first half (46).
The 28-year-old Argentinian latched on to a wrong through pass by Gabi, who probably committed a horrendous blunder.
The Sadd captain, facing his own goal, tried to overcome two Monterrey players on the right.
However, the former Atletico Madrid star sent a long through towards his own box, and Rogelio had enough time to drill the ball home.
"Such mistakes happens in football. We need to overcome silly errors," said Sadd head coach Xavi Hernandez of Gabi.
Confident start by Monterrey
Monterrey started on a confident note with their first-minute effort that saw Sadd goalkeeper Saad al Sheeb make a brilliant save.
Qatar international Akram Afif and Bounedjah combined well inside the box, but before the Algerian international could reach for the ball, it had already crossed the touchline.
Then a Nam Tae Hee freekick, which Sadd earned after S Medina charged Baghdad in the fifth minute, failed to create any impact on the Monterrey back-line as the South Korean midfielder shot wide.
Sadd players pick up four yellow cards
Sadd, in fact, was outplayed by their opponents on speed and physical endurance as the likes of Baghdad, Akram, Abdelkarim Hassan and Al Haidous struggled to win balls.
The reigning QSL champions lacked compactness, and their defence looked clueless against Monterrey’s marauding attackers.
Surprisingly, Sadd players resorted to unnecessary tackles and fouls which saw Baghdad (31’), Boualem Khoukhi (36’), Pedro (40’) and Tarek Salman (74’) booked by referee Ovidiu Hategan.
