JEDDAH: Al-Ahli beat Al-Hilal 3-1 on Tuesday to move into the final of the AFC Champions League Elite.
After an incident-filled semifinal showdown, the Jeddah club will face either Al-Nassr, another Riyadh giant, or Kawasaki Frontale of Japan in Saturday’s final, where one thing is for sure — there will be a new continental champion.
It was a deserved win for Al-Ahli who were on top for most of the 90-plus minutes in Jeddah. Now they prepare for their third Champions League final and in this form few would bet against them landing a first title.
FULL TIME
Al-Ahli Al-Hilal
WE’RE IN THE FINAL! #الأهلي_الهلال #ACLElite pic.twitter.com/2YCbhXHlSb
— Al-Ahli Saudi Club (@ALAHLI_FCEN) April 29, 2025
Beating four-time winners Al-Hilal means that there is nothing to fear for Al-Ahli and it took just nine minutes for the fans to start celebrating. Galeno broke down the left, racing on to a fine pass and just about reached the ball before it went out of play. The Brazilian, signed in January from Porto, sent over a first-time cross for compatriot Roberto Firmino to sweep home from close range.
There were calls for offside but to the dismay of the Riyadh giants they were not upheld. There were more chances, such as Ivan Toney’s shot that went just wide after 18 minutes, as Al-Ahli continued to look the more dangerous.
Then, just before the half-hour, it was 2-0. Riyad Mahrez picked up the ball in a central position and slipped a perfect pass to the left side of the area. It was picked up by Toney who feinted past Yassine Bounou in goal and rolled the ball into an empty net.
For a while, that seemed to be that. The Greens were on top and heading into the final but Al-Hilal are not the most successful team in Saudi Arabia and
arabnews.com
