Al Hilal Triumph Over Sepahan To Qualify For The AFC Champions League Quarterfinals, Set To Face Al Ittihad
Saudi Pro League leaders Al Hilal will face Karim Benzema’s Al Ittihad in the semi-finals of the Asian Champions League after their 3-1 win against Sepahan (Iran). Their home win ensured they progressed to the quarter-finals with a 6-2 aggregate scoreline.
The four-time AFC Champions League winners controlled the match in the first half but failed to get a goal. They allowed Sepahan to grow into the game and suffered the consequences in the 54th minute when Farshad Ahmadzadeh scored to make it 1-0. The celebrations for the Iranians were short-lived as Siavash Yazadni received his marching orders in the 71st minute.
With the visitors playing with ten men, Al Hilal only needed five minutes to equalize through a Salem Al-Dawsari goal that restored the two-goal aggregate advantage. In the 82nd minute, Ruben Neves scored from outside the box, and Aleksandar Mitrovic sealed the win with a goal in the 97th minute.
After the match, World Cup winner N’Golo Kante emphasized Al Hilal was the better team though he chastised his teammates for not converting enough chances. The win set up an all-Saudi clash with Al Ittihad.
Al Ittihad qualified for the quarter-finals with a win over Navbahor (Uzbekistan) with a 2-1 aggregate score. Karim Benzema almost knocked out his team with an own goal in the 25th minute but made it up with an assist at the end of the first half. A Toma Tabatadze own goal sealed the win to set the all Saudi quarter final clash.
