Al Hilal vs Al-Ahli

 The AFC Champions League Elite semi-final kicks off with an all-Saudi clash between Al Hilal and Al Ahli, both coming off strong quarter-final victories. Here’s our take on what to expect from the match.

Al Hilal delivered a commanding 7-0 thrashing of South Korea’s Gwangju, marking their second consecutive Champions League win and fifth in six games. Across their last 12 matches in the competition, they’ve only suffered one defeat.

Under Jorge Jesus, Al Hilal has been defensively solid, securing clean sheets in six of their last 10 Champions League games. The teams are no strangers, often meeting in the Saudi Pro League, where Al Ahli edged out a 3-2 victory in their most recent encounter.

Al Hilal is eager to settle the score after that defeat, their first in nine meetings against Al Ahli. Meanwhile, Al Ahli earned their semi-final berth with a 3-0 win over Buriram United.

Goals from key players Riyad Mahrez, Galeno, and Roberto Firmino highlighted their confident performance, extending their winning streak to four games and marking their third straight match with three or more goals.

Sitting fourth in the Saudi Pro League, Al Ahli is focusing on the Champions League for a shot at silverware. Their unbeaten run of 16 matches in the competition, including 12 victories, gives them strong momentum heading into this showdown.

Al-Hilal head into this match following a dominant 7-0 victory against South Korea’s Gwangju FC in the AFC Champions League quarter-finals. Playing at King Abdullah Sport City, the Saudi giants controlled 62% possession and unleashed eleven shots on target, with goals from Sergej Milinković-Savić, Marcos Leonardo, Salem Al-Dawsari, Aleksandar Mitrović, Malcom, Nasser Al-Dawsari, and Abdullah Al-Hamdan.

Meanwhile, Al-Ahli also secured a convincing win in their last outing, defeating Thailand’s Buriram United 3-0 in the Champions League quarter-finals. Riyad Mahrez, Wenderson Galeno, and Roberto Firmino were on the scoresheet as Al-Ahli dominated with 66% possession and five shots on goal.

The last meeting between these two sides saw Al-Ahli edge out Al-Hilal 3-2 in the Saudi Pro League. However, Al-Hilal have been the stronger side historically, winning four of their last six encounters, while Al-Ahli have claimed two victories.