Wasl beat Muharraq 3-1 in GCC cup first final

Goals from Juan Olivera and Rashid Eisa ensured Al Wasl a two goal advantage over Bahrain’s Al Muharraq, after the first leg of the GCC Champions League final in Manama’s Khalifa Stadium ended 3-1 on Tuesday.

With the game tied at 1-1 thanks to Hussain Ali’s 52nd minute opener and Eisa Ali’s 54th minute reply, Rashid Eisa’s well-worked strike on 72 minutes and Olivera’s header on 84 put Wasl firmly in control for Sunday’s home leg.

Majed Nasser was forced to come off his line and clear when Esmail Abdullatif’s diagonal pass put Muharraq’s Hussain Ali through on goal on 20 minutes.

Wasl replied on 26 minutes when Mariano Donda nodded the ball onto the crossbar from Tariq Hassan’s right cross only for follow-ups by Juan Olivera, Donda and Eisa Ali to be palmed away in quick succession by keeper Abdullah Al Kabi.

Fahad Shweta’s right cross to Said Ebrahim again tested Nasser on 37 minutes before Eisa Ali’s opportunity through on goal, passed by Tariq Hassan, was ruled out by Kabi up the other end on 42 minutes.

The second half started brighter. Muharraq had a call for penalty denied on 46 minutes when Abdullatif was pulled down in the box by Waheed Esmail.

Undeterred by that the home side duly opened their account on 52 minutes when Shweta’s right cross to the back post found Hussain Ali waiting.

But a moment of magic from Eisa Ali on 54 minutes saw Wasl equalise from a long shot outside the area into the top right of the net silencing the crowd.

Abdullatif had the chance to add another on 68 minutes from a left in run but despite getting the better of his marker and toe-poking his effort early Nasser caught a hand to it.

Wasl finally put themselves in front on 72 minutes thanks to Rashid Eisa who worked his way into the box and slotted into the top left hand corner.

Donda then crossed to Olivera from the right on 84 minutes who headed it beyond Kabi, despite the keeper fouling him.