Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli secure quarter-final spots in Asian Champions League Elite
Al-Hilal delivered a dominant performance on Tuesday, thrashing Uzbekistan’s Pakhtakor 4-0 to overturn a first-leg deficit and advance to the quarter-finals of the Asian Champions League Elite. The Saudi giants joined fellow countrymen Al-Ahli in the next round, with Riyad Mahrez starring in their victory over Al-Rayyan.
Trailing 1-0 from the first leg in Tashkent, Al-Hilal responded emphatically at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, sealing a 4-1 aggregate triumph. The breakthrough came in the 31st minute when Hamad Al-Yami’s diving header leveled the tie, finishing off Mohamed Kanno’s precise cross after a clever backheel from Salem Al-Dawsari.
Kanno played a pivotal role again 11 minutes later, surging from deep inside his own half before threading a perfectly weighted pass for Malcom, who slotted past Pakhtakor goalkeeper Jhonatan to give Al-Hilal the lead on aggregate.
Yassine Bounou’s reflex save denied Pakhtakor striker Flamarion early in the second half, proving crucial as Al-Dawsari extended the hosts' advantage from the penalty spot in the 51st minute after being brought down by Khodjiakbar Alijonov. Nasser Al-Dawsari put the result beyond doubt in stoppage time, tapping in from close range to complete the emphatic victory.
"We just wanted to win so bad, for the supporters, for everybody, for us," said Al-Hilal defender Kalidou Koulibaly. "We knew that the first game was difficult in difficult conditions but today we showed our talent, our team on the pitch. We wanted to win so bad and we showed it."
Al-Ahli also progressed with a convincing 5-1 aggregate victory over Qatar’s Al-Rayyan, sealing the tie with a 2-0 win in Jeddah. Holding a two-goal cushion from the first leg, Matthias Jaissle’s side controlled the game but had to wait until the 77th minute to add to their lead. Mahrez showcased his composure, controlling Galeno’s lofted pass before lifting his shot over goalkeeper Paulo Victor. Six minutes later, the Algerian struck again, firing home after a layoff from Gabri Veiga to secure the win.
With Al-Nassr also advancing on Monday alongside Qatar’s Al-Sadd, all three Saudi Arabian clubs in the competition have now reached the quarter-finals. Japan’s Yokohama F. Marinos and Thailand’s Buriram United also secured their spots after defeating Shanghai Port and Johor Darul Ta’zim, respectively. The final two quarter-finalists will be determined on Wednesday when Kawasaki Frontale faces Shanghai Shenhua and Vissel Kobe takes on Gwangju FC.
The quarter-final draw will take place on Monday, with the remaining stages of the tournament set to be played in a centralized format in Jeddah from April 25 to May 3.
SportsLigue