Al Hilal complete last eight cast despite loss; quarters draw out
Players of Al Ahli and Al Hilal in action during their ACL pre-quarterfinal match at King Saud University Stadium in Riyadh on Tuesday. Agence France-Presse
Al Sadd SC, AFC Champions League winners in 2011, and Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal SFC — twice runners-up in the present format of the Continental showpiece — advanced from their Round of 16 ties on Tuesday to join Al Nassr and Al Ittihad in the last eight.
Saudi sides Al Nassr and two-time champions Al Ittihad had sealed their places on Monday.
The quarter-finals will see Al Nassr facing Al Sadd on Aug.26 and Sept.16 while the all-Saudi last eight tie between Al Ittihad and Al Hilal will take place on Aug.27 and Sept.16. The East quarter-finals had been decided in June with China PR’s Shanghai SIPG facing 2017 champions Urawa Red Diamonds on Aug.27 and Sept.17.
The other East quarter-final will have China PR’s Guangzhou Evergrande — the 2015 winners —taking on defending champions Kashima Antlers on Aug.28 and Sept.18. The semi-finals are scheduled for Oct.1, 2, 22 and 23 with the final on Nov.9 and 24.
Al Hilal SFC on Tuesday rounded off the eight teams in the 2019 AFC Champions League quarter-finals despite suffering a 1-0 home defeat at the hands of Al Ahli Saudi FC in the second leg of the Round of 16. A 4-3 aggregate score means Al Hilal are set to face arch-rivals Al Ittihad in the next round.
It looked like the first half was headed for a goalless ending when Al Ahli’s Abdulfattah Asiri collected the ball from a poor defensive clearance, cut inside on his left and drilled a low strike that was deflected into the back of the net to the shock of goalkeeper Abdullah Al Mayouf who was left wrongfooted. Cape Verdean international Djaniny nearly doubled Al Ahli’s lead a minute later. The winger dribbled past his marker inside the Al Hilal box and fired from an angle, but his shot ended up hitting the side netting.
Al Hilal came back from the break a different side and looked determined to keep Al Ahli at bay by means of keeping the ball in the opposition half, which they did well for extended periods of the half, limiting Al Ahli to a Souza long range effort that sailed wide early in the second half.
Despite Al Ahli’s best efforts and four minutes of added time, there would be no more goals and Al Hilal sealed their place in the quarter-finals with the 4-3 aggregate victory.
Al Hilal head coach Razvan Lucescu admitted his side were not at their best in Tuesday’s 1-0 defeat to rivals Al Ahli Saudi FC in the second leg of the 2019 AFC Champions League Round of 16.
Lucescu believes his side needs to be much better, especially in attack, in the next stage.
“The result of the first leg had a big impact on our performance tonight, I have no doubt about that,” said the 50-year-old.”
“I am not satisfied with the way we played here. We need to improve, especially in attack. “We struggled with the final touch and wasted some easy opportunities, but defensively we were solid despite the goal. The most important thing for me is that we qualified.”
A cagey affair saw seven yellow cards brandished, including three in the dying minutes of the game for striker Bafetimbi Gomis and substitutes Nasser Al Dawsari and Hattan Bahebri, but Lucescu dismissed that sort of physicality as natural.
“I am not too concerned with the yellow cards; physical contact is a natural part of the game and Al Ahli were very physical.”
“They came into the game with a more adventurous mindset and pressed high which made it more difficult for us to build from the back, which we had done so well in the first leg, so instead we had to play long balls.”
Quarter-final Fixtures:
Al Nassr vs Al Sadd (Aug.26, Sept.16); Al Ittihad vs Al Hilal (Aug.27, Sept.17); Shanghai SIPG vs Urawa Red Diamonds (Aug.27, Sept.17); Guangzhou Evergrande vs Kashima Antlers (Aug.28, Sept.18)
