Al-Sadd shocks Al-Hilal… and Al-Ahly displaces Al-Duhail

Algerian Riyad Mahrez led Al-Ahly Saudi Arabia, the defending champion, to the quarter-finals of the AFC Elite Champions League by defeating Al-Duhail 1-0 after extra time on Monday in Jeddah, but Al-Sadd rehabilitated the Qataris by eliminating the other Saudi team, Al-Hilal, on penalties 4-2 after a crazy 3-3 draw.

It seemed that Al-Ahly and Al-Duhail were on their way to going to penalties after Englishman Ivan Toney missed the opportunity to put the Saudi team in the lead by missing a penalty kick in stoppage time of the first extra half (7 + 105).

But Mahrez snatched the victory and qualification for Al-Ahly in its stronghold, Al-Enmaa Stadium in King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, with a free kick in the 117th minute, so that the Saudi team continues the campaign to defend its title, as it meets in the quarter-finals next Friday, also in Jeddah, with the Malaysian Johor Dar Al-Ta’zim.

The eighth final in the west of the continent will be held in Jeddah using the rally system, after it was postponed due to the war in the Middle East.

As for the final rounds of the competition, they are still scheduled in Jeddah between April 16 and 25.

There were three Saudi clubs in the eighth final, namely Al-Ittihad, which also benefits from the advantage of playing at home, Al-Hilal, which is now out of the competition after failing to maintain its lead three times against Al-Sadd, losing on penalties 2-4, and Al-Ahly.

Al-Ittihad will play with Al-Wahda of the Emirates on Tuesday, while Al-Shabab Al-Ahly of the Emirates will also play with Traktor of Iran.

The first half was even, and Al-Ahly had the offensive initiative when Tony shot a free kick that was blocked by goalkeeper Salah Zakaria (18).

The post deprived Al-Duhail of a goal when he blocked a free kick executed by Frenchman Benjamin Borrego, before the ball returned to his colleague Edmilson Junior, who shot it next to the post (24).

Through a coordinated attack, Al-Duhail was close to scoring had it not been for the ingenuity of Senegalese goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, who blocked Edmilson’s ball and caught it in two passes (37).

Al-Ahly started the second half attacking and had a chance to score when Brazilian Rodger Ibanez shot a powerful ball that went over the crossbar (60), before Zakaria saved his own goal when he blocked Mahrez’s ball (62).

Mendy shone when he blocked Borrego’s strong ball (64), then Al-Ahly missed an opportunity when Brazilian Henderson Gallino received a ball inside the penalty area and shot it powerfully, but Zakaria blocked it with his fist (66).

Al-Duhail missed a clear opportunity when Polish Krzysztof Pionetek was alone in the goal, but he extended the ball so Mendy succeeded in catching it (79).

The crossbar deprived Al-Ahly of a goal in the fatal moment when she blocked Frenchman Enzo Melo’s ball before returning and being distracted by the defense (88).

In stoppage time, the crossbar stood with Al-Ahly when she blocked Algerian Adel Boulbena’s powerful ball before making her way off the field.

– A crazy confrontation between Al Hilal and Al Sadd –

In the first extra half, Al-Ahly missed a goal when Galino received a ball inside the penalty area and shot it hard next to the post (94). Ibanez followed with a header that went past the post (101).

In stoppage time, the referee awarded a penalty kick for Al-Ahly, which was executed by Tony and saved by Salah Zakaria (105 + 7).

In the second extra half, the excitement continued between the two teams, before Mahrez succeeded in snatching the lead and winning for Al-Ahly from a free kick that landed to the left of Zakaria (117).

At Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, in a confrontation between two former champions, Al-Hilal and Al-Sadd played a crazy match, as the former took the lead three times, and the Qatari team responded after a few minutes for each of the three goals, dragging the four-time champion of the competition to extra time and then to penalty kicks, which smiled at them 4-2.

Al Hilal entered the match having only tasted defeat once against Al Sadd in four previous matches in the knockout rounds. It also finished the unified group stage in the lead, achieving a comfortable victory over the Qatari team in particular, 3-1.

On the other hand, Al-Sadd finished in eighth place, ahead of Al-Sharjah of the Emirates on goal difference, after the two teams were equal with eight points, but they entered the match in high spirits after they clinched the Qatari League title on Monday for the third season in a row as a result of their Al-Shamal club losing to Qatar 0-2 in a postponed match.

Al Hilal took the lead in the 29th minute through Serbian Sergei Milinkovic-Savic after a pass from Frenchman Theo Hernandez, but Brazilian Claudinho quickly equalized with a through pass from Moroccan Romain Saiss (36).

After Al Hilal took the lead again at the beginning of the second half through Salem Al Dosari with a through pass from Portuguese Ruben Neves (55), Al Sadd quickly responded with a goal from Spaniard Rafa Mojico after a pass from Claudinho (58).

The scenario was repeated again, with Al Hilal advancing with a goal from Brazilian Marcos Leonardo after the ball reached him from Frenchman Karim Benzema following a corner kick (67), before his compatriot Roberto Firmino responded with a header goal after a cross from Uruguayan Agustín Soria (70).

The result remained the same until the end of normal time, so the two teams decided to go to an extension and then to penalty kicks, which Firmino started by hitting the post, but Al Hilal then missed through Benzema and his compatriot Simon Bouabre, who hit the crossbar, so Al Sadd qualified, where they will meet Vissel Kobe of Japan next Thursday.