Al Ain’s long search for an away AFC Champions League win goes on but the Boss did secure a useful 2-2 draw at Tractor Sazi Tabriz that keeps them two points clear of their hosts in the race for the last 16.
A mixture of the cold conditions and a fast start from Tractor saw Al Ain head into half-time a goal down after Saeed Daghighi headed home.
It was no more than they deserved but the Boss came out for the second-half re-energised and led in the 59th minute through goals from Asamoah Gyan and Mohamed Abdulrahman.
They were denied a first ACL win abroad in 15 attempts, though, as Farshad Ahmadzadeh wriggled his way through a static defence before calmly slotting home.
The point keeps the Boss top of Group C although they could drop to second if Lekhwiya win comfortably away at Al Ittihad on Wednesday night.
Al Ain coach Zlatko Dalic had aired his concerns about the chilly temperature in Tabriz on the eve of the game and as the contest got under way it was clear that the visitors – all 11 sporting gloves – were struggling to adapt to playing in the cold.
Tractor deservedly took the lead in the 20th minute as Daghighi nipped in front of Fares Juma to head home Habib Gordani’s corner.
Alex Brosque spurned his side’s best opening of the first 45 minutes as he fired over when found by a lovely ball from Omar Abdulrahman, who had previously been subdued.
The Boss were made to survive a scare on the stroke of half-time as Karim Ansarifard went down in the area, but referee Azman bin Ismail deemed there was minimal contact from Ismail Ahmed.
The visitors went into the break having not registered a single shot on target, but their approach was much more positive in the second period.
Brosque and Ismail Ahmed had both gone close from corners – the latter’s header evading the diving Yassine El Ghanassy by inches – before Gyan nodded home their equaliser.
The Ghanaian was found in the area by an inch-perfect dink forward from Omar Abdulrahman, and didn’t have to check his run to swoop and divert the ball home.
It had taken over 53 minutes for the visitors to get going, but once they were on the scoresheet a second goal arrived within five minutes. Again Omar was the architect with brother Mohamed Abdulrahman displaying great composure to collect, swivel and score.
But the lead did not last long as Ahmadzadeh tricked his way past a clutch of players on the right wing, before easily beating Juma and blasting high into Khalid Essa’s net from eight yards.
And that’s the way it stayed despite chances for both Gyan and Brosque.
