Al-Hilal 2-0 Al-Ittihad: Hosts score twice in two minutes to win first leg of Asian Champions League quarter-final
Al-Hilal will go into the second leg of their Asian Champions League quarter-final against fellow Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad next week with a 2-0 lead after scoring twice in two first half minutes on Tuesday.
Aleksandar Mitrovic's 40th-minute penalty put Jorge Jesus' side ahead at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, and Salem Al Dawsari doubled the lead two minutes later, capping off a devastating team move.
Al-Ittihad finished with ten men after N'golo Kante was sent off for a dangerous tackle on former Chelsea teammate Kalidou Koulibaly with 25 minutes left, with referee Shuan Evans dismissing the Frenchman following a video review.
The teams will meet again in Jeddah on Tuesday, with the winner facing either Al-Ain from the United Arab Emirates or Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr in the semi-finals next month.
Al-Ain lead 1-0 after defeating the Saudi Pro League side in Monday's first leg.
Mitrovic scored from the penalty spot, his 30th goal in 31 games across all competitions since joining Al-Hilal from Fulham, after being wrestled to the ground by Madallah Al Olayan.
Al Dawsari then added his team's second when Ruben Neves' precise pass from deep released Malcom down the right, and the Brazilian centred for the current Asian Player of the Year to score.
Earlier in the day, Ulsan Hyundai drew 1-1 at Jeonbuk Motors, with Lee Myung-jae's late goal canceling out Song Min-kyu's fourth-minute opener at Jeonju World Cup Stadium.
Lee scored 13 minutes from time to tie the game ahead of the second leg in Ulsan next Tuesday, after Jeonbuk's Brazilian striker Tiago Orobo missed a first-half penalty.
Jeonbuk took the lead when Song swept a close-range finish past Jo Hyeon-woo after Lee Dong-jun was released down the right to deliver an inch-perfect cross that cracked the defence.
The home side squandered a chance to double their lead when Ulsan's Lee Myung-jae upended Lee Dong-jun inside the penalty area, but Tiago's penalty kick clipped the crossbar.
Ulsan and Jeonbuk will play again next week, with the winners facing either the Harry Kewell-coached Yokohama F Marinos of Japan or Chinese Super League side Shandong Taishan, who face off in the first leg of their quarter-final in China on Wednesday.
SportsLigue