Olivera brace puts Al Wasl in control

Juan Manuel Olivera’s brace helped Al Wasl take a 3-0 lead over Qatar’s Al Khor heading into the second leg of the GCC Champions League semi final. Wednesday night’s first leg victory at Zabeel Stadium in front of 3314 spectators set Diego Maradona’s team up well ahead of the second leg in Qatar slated for next Tuesday (May 29).       Wasl first tested the water on 22 minutes when Mohammad Khalatbari hit the left stanchion. The ball deflected into the path of Mariano Donda but his follow-up was plucked to safety. On 27 minutes Al Khor keeper Baba Djibril threw the ball straight to Juan Manuel Olivera who lobbed the ball back in towards goal, sparing the blushes Djibril was able to get a hand to it.Khalatbari had a chance in space after a long ball from Mercier in midfield on 35 minutes, but up front alone and still onside the Iranian’s confidence petered out when faced with a one on one. Wasl finally went ahead on 52 minutes when Donda’s touch right to Rashid Eisa outside the area was paved across goal for Olivera to tap in at the back post. Khalatbari squandered a header inside the area on 66 minutes from Rashid Eisa’s cross. But three minutes later he made up for it, working the ball into the box from the right, before rolling a tight-angled cross into Olivera’s path for the second. Donda’s long range effort passed back out of the box by Khalatbari was well stopped on 77 minutes. But the home side’s persistence paid off on 90 minutes with a third after Rashid Eisa’s crafty in run and shot was palmed as far as Eisa Ali for the follow-up.