Al Hilal surged into the semi-finals of the prestigious Asian Champions League Elite on Friday in Jeddah, as Jorge Jesus’s Saudi Pro League outfit crushed Gwangju from South Korea 7-0, edging closer to claiming their fifth continental title, a record extension.
In a blistering start, goals from Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Marcos Leonardo, and Salem Al-Dawsari within the opening 33 minutes set the tone for the four-time champions, with Aleksandar Mitrovic, Malcom, Nasser Al-Dawsari, and Abdullah Al-Hamdan adding to the tally after half-time.
The raucous atmosphere at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium now means that Al Hilal will face the winner of Saturday’s quarter-final clash between fellow Saudi Pro League team Al Ahli and Thailand’s Buriram United.
Al Hilal, who have previously claimed the continental championship in 1991, 2000, 2019, and 2021, and finished as runners-up on five occasions, showcased their superiority over a Gwangju side making their debut in the competition.
Milinkovic-Savic wasted no time in putting Al Hilal ahead, nodding home Salem Al-Dawsari’s corner from the edge of the six-yard box in the sixth minute, before the ball could even reach the goalkeeper, Kim Kyeong-in.
Gwangju nearly equalised seconds later, but goalkeeper Yassine Bounou was quick to thwart Jasir Asani’s attempt after the Albanian winger slipped behind the Al Hilal defence.
The missed opportunity proved costly, as Leonardo doubled Al Hilal’s advantage in the 25th minute, striking low past Kim with a precise first-time effort after receiving a cutback from Malcom.
Just eight minutes later, Salem Al-Dawsari all but sealed the game by latching onto a pass from Leonardo deep in Al Hilal’s half, outrunning the Gwangju defence to slot the ball calmly to Kim’s right.
Mitrovic added the fourth goal a mere 10 minutes into the second half, capitalising on a bobbling cross from Milinkovic-Savic to score with ease.
With just 11 minutes left, Malcom found the back of the net, and shortly after, Nasser Al-Dawsari’s deflected strike extended the lead to six. Al-Hamdan capped off Gwangju’s humiliation with an unstoppable right-footed effort in the 88th minute.
The concluding stages of the revamped Asian Champions League Elite are being hosted in a centralised format in Jeddah, with Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr set to take on Yokohama F Marinos on Saturday.
On Sunday, Kawasaki Frontale from Japan will meet Qatar’s Al-Sadd, with the semi-finals scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday. The final is slated for May 3rd.
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
Fanpage: SportArena.com.au.
LiveScore – Live Sports Results & Odds.
