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Al Ittihad thrashed Qatar's Al Gharafa 7-0 on Tuesday to book their place in the knockout rounds of the Asian Champions League Elite as Roberto Mancini's Al Sadd boosted their hopes of qualifying with a 2-0 win over Tractor FC.
Algeria international Houssem Aouar scored a hat-trick for the Saudi Pro League champions in a one-sided clash in Jeddah and the three points guarantee Sergio Conceicao's team a place in the next phase of the competition.
Youssef En-Nesyri, signed last week to replace Karim Benzema following his move to Al Hilal, wasted no time in giving his side the lead when he stroked home Muhannad Al Shanqiti's low centre from the right in the third minute.
Aouar doubled the home side's advantage in the 20th minute as he swept a right-footed effort into the bottom corner and Roger Fernandes slid in to score the third in the 49th minute.
Two minutes later, slack marking at a corner allowed Danilo Pereira to head in Aouar's cross.
Aouar volleyed in his second of the evening in the 58th minute before Fernandes guided in the sixth after a further four minutes with Aouar completing his hat-trick 11 minutes from time.
The win moved Al Ittihad onto 12 points and up to fifth in the standings, four points clear of ninth-placed Sharjah FC with one round in the league phase remaining.
Al Sadd took the lead against already-qualified Tractor in the 61st minute when Akram Afif headed the ball into the path of Rafa Mujica and the Spanish striker swept his shot in from seven yards out.
The Qatari club put the result beyond doubt in the 89th minute as Roberto Firmino, a winner of the title last season with Al Ahli, stabbed home from close range following Claudinho's inch-perfect pass from the left.
"We knew we had to win tonight," said Firmino. "Tractor is in the top three in the Champions League and it was a big game and a big win."
The result moves Al Sadd up to eighth in the standings and into the final qualifying berth for the knockout rounds ahead of next week's matches.
The top eight teams in both east and west Asia progress to the last 16, which will be played on a home-and-away basis. The quarter-finals, semi-finals and final will be held on a centralised basis in Saudi Arabia in April.
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