Al Sadd coach Javi Gracia expressed his deep disappointment after his side lost 1-3 to Al Wehdat, in the fourth round of the 2022 AFC Champions League group stage.
“We were playing to win in order to gain three points for our campaign. We had a problem controlling the ball. We conceded goals from mistakes that prevented us from coming back to the match.”
The Al Sadd coach added: “We have two matches left and we must focus on them in order to maintain our hopes of competition.”
For Al Sadd, a second defeat in four games severely hampers their chances of advancing to the Round of 16, and Gracia acknowledged his side were second best throughout.
“We have lost a game because Al Wehdat were better than us overall,” he said.
“We started well and had control in the first 45 minutes but without many chances to score. I remember only one with Ali Asad who missed. In the second half they waited for our mistake which came from a corner and gave them the chance for a second ball and they scored,” he added.
The former Valencia and Watford boss sees a pattern in the eight goals his side conceded this campaign, the highest amongst all Group E sides.
“In the last games we conceded many goals from set-pieces, not directly. One own goal directly from a set-piece, but the rest are from second balls following set-pieces. If you don’t pay attention, you concede. This is something about the attitude of the team defending. We conceded goals following set-pieces and the disorder following them.”
Both sides face do-or-die encounters on Matchday Five, with Al Sadd facing Nasaf and Al Wehdat playing Al Faisaly on Saturday.
