Home / Sports / Mahrez magic sends Al-Ahli through in Asian Champions League
Mahrez magic sends Al-Ahli through in Asian Champions League
13 Apr
Summary
- Riyad Mahrez scored a 117th-minute free-kick to secure Al-Ahli's win.
- Al-Hilal was eliminated after a 3-3 draw and a 4-2 penalty shootout loss.
- The last 16 matches were one-off encounters played in Jeddah.
Title holders Al-Ahli narrowly advanced in the Asian Champions League Elite on Monday, thanks to a stunning 117th-minute free-kick from Riyad Mahrez that sealed a 1-0 victory against Al-Duhail. The spirited Qataris had goalkeeper Salah Zakaria to thank for saving Ivan Toney's penalty late in extra time, but Mahrez's left-footed strike proved decisive.
In a contrasting fate, four-times champions Al-Hilal were eliminated in an enthralling clash with Al-Sadd. The match ended 3-3 in regulation time, with Al-Sadd prevailing 4-2 in a penalty shootout. Key moments included goals from Claudinho, Rafa Mujica, Roberto Firmino for Al-Sadd, and Sergey Milinkovic-Savic, Salem Al-Dawsari, and Marcos Leonardo for Al-Hilal, with Karim Benzema missing a crucial penalty.
Al-Sadd will now face Vissel Kobe in the quarter-finals, while Al-Ahli is set to play Johor Darul Ta'zim. These pivotal last 16 matches were contested as single-leg fixtures in Jeddah following previous postponements due to Middle Eastern conflict.
