With Their 2-0 Win Over Al Ittihad in the AFC Champions League, Al Hilal Set A World Record of 28 Consecutive Wins
Al Hilal marched into the AFC Champions League semi-final in fashion with a 2-0 win (4-0 on aggregate) over fellow Saudi Pro League side Al Ittihad. The win was their 28th consecutive win in competitive football, beating the previous world record of 27 wins set by The New Saints (Wales) in the 2016/17 season.
The first half was largely unremarkable, with Al Ittihad struggling to score and get back into the game after losing 2-0 in the first leg. However, in the 61st minute, Al Hilal dashed hopes of a comeback with a Yasser Al-Shahran goal.
Al Ittihad was the more aggressive team for most of the match despite having only 46% of the ball. They managed more shots (13 to Al Hilal’s 10) and more shots on target (5 to Al Hilal’s 2) but failed to make any significant impact. Their aggression was displayed in the 6 yellow cards they received throughout the game. Abderrazak Hamdallah received a red card in the first minute of added time, leaving Al Ittihad a man down. Al Hilal confirmed their spot in the semi-final with a 95th-minute Malcolm goal.
After the game, manager Jorge Jesus was keen not to get carried away by the accomplishment, saying, “As I have said throughout this period, however, records do not matter as much as trophies. It is up to everyone at Al Hilal to ensure that we close out the season as Saudi League champions and meet our targets in the cup competitions. Only then can we truly celebrate.”
Al Hilal will now face UAE’s Al Ain, who dispatched off Al Nassr in the other quarter-final match.
