Al-Ahly and Al-Sadd: 90 minutes without a decider

Both teams started cautiously, trading attempts to threaten the goal. Al-Sadd's most notable effort came through Roberto Firmino, who fired from outside the penalty area in the eighth minute, only for the defence to block it.

Al-Ahli suffered an early blow in the 15th minute when Valentin Atangana went down injured. He left the pitch three minutes later, with Ziyad Al-Juhani coming on in his place. Akram Afif collected a yellow card in the 23rd minute, before Galeno picked up the second booking of the match in the 26th.

Al-Ahli kept probing. Eduard Spertsyan fired from outside the box in the 27th minute, but it drifted wide of the post. Al-Sadd hit back with two dangerous efforts through Claudinho and Guilherme. Edouard Mendy saved the former's shot in the 30th minute, while the latter's cleared the crossbar.

Read also: Mourinho's loophole and the Parisi indicator: Real Madrid's door will not be closed in Hakimi's face

The visitors nearly opened the scoring in the 39th minute. Roger Ibanez rose to meet Spertsyan's cross and headed it towards goal, but Meshaal Barsham blocked it brilliantly.

Back came Galeno to threaten Al-Sadd's goal in the 41st minute with a powerful strike from inside the box. Barsham shone again, pushing the ball out for a corner.

Deep in stoppage time, Claudinho wasted a fresh chance for Al-Sadd, dragging a shot over the crossbar from outside the area. The first half ended goalless.

Read also: A poisoned environment: Spalletti warns the Juventus fans

Al-Ahli of Saudi Arabia kept hammering away at Qatar's Al-Sadd throughout the second half. They couldn't turn their chances into goals. Goalkeeper Meshaal Barsham stood firm with a standout display, and the Saudi side suffered two further injury blows in a match that finished goalless.

Al-Ahli came out pressing. Ivan Toney almost broke the deadlock in the 46th minute, meeting a Galeno cross and firing from inside the penalty area, only to see his effort drift just wide of the post. Four minutes later he squandered another opening with a strike that flashed close to goal.

Read also: Mourinho's former target and Forest's surprise: Liverpool open the file on Van Dijk's successor

Al-Sadd hit back through Roberto Firmino in the 52nd minute, but Edouard Mendy denied his shot from inside the box. Mendy was at it again in the 64th minute, keeping out a Claudinho effort from range.

Two substitutions followed for Al-Sadd, with Mustafa Meshaal replacing Mohammed Kamara in the 51st minute and Hashem Ali coming on for Guilherme in the 69th. Al-Ahli, meanwhile, lost Mohammed Suleiman to injury in the 59th minute, Rayan Hamed taking his place.

Hamed picked up a yellow card in the 67th minute. Al-Ahli then made their last three substitutions in one go in the 81st, sending on Firas Al-Buraikan, Ibrahima Diaby and Matheus Gonçalves for Ivan Toney, Artem Bondarenko and Trincao.

Read also: France legend reveals Mbappe's fatal mistake in the Ballon d'Or race

The final minutes brought a flurry of attempts. Mendy saved from Firmino in the 77th minute, while Galeno and Spertsyan both tried to threaten Al-Sadd's goal, only for the Qatari side's defence to repel their efforts.

Matheus Gonçalves then tested Meshaal Barsham with a shot from inside the box in the 84th minute, but the goalkeeper got down to save it and preserved the goalless draw.

Al-Ahli kept up the pressure right to the end. Barsham saved a header from Ibrahima Diaby in the 88th minute, before Roger Ibañez headed over the bar from an Edward Spertsyan cross. The match finished as it began, with both goals intact.

Read also: A brace that upends Mourinho's calculations: Spanish journalist: the bench is Vinícius's place