Saudi clubs Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad through to King Salman Club Cup quarterfinals

RIYADH: Saudi football clubs Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad qualified on Wednesday for the quarterfinals of the King Salman Club Cup, alongside Al-Sadd of Qatar and Iraqi side Al-Shorta.

In Group B, Paolo Ottavio scored for Al-Sadd in their 1-0 victory over Lybya’s Al-Ahli Tripoli. The Qataris topped the group with 7 points.

Al-Hilal defeated Al-Wydad of Morocco 2-1 to claim second place with 4 points. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Ruben Neves scored Al-Hilal’s brace, while Saif Al-Din Bohra netted for Al-Wydad.

In Group A, the game between Tunisian sides Esperance and Sfaxien ended goalless, while Al-Ittihad defeated Al-Shorta, 2-1. Ahmed Bamasoud and Karim Benzema were the scorers for the Saudis, while Boubaker Abdel Majeed grabbed the Iraqi side’s goal.

The results meant that Al-Ittihad topped the group with a maximum 9 points, followed by Al-Shorta on 4.

The group stage of the competition, which is also known as the Arab Club Champions Cup, will conclude on Thursday.

In Group C, two Saudi clubs will be in action: Al-Nassr face Egyptian side Al-Zamalek in Taif, while Al-Shabab take on Al-Ittihad Monastir of Tunisia, in Al-Baha. Kick-off time for both games is 6 p.m. KSA time. Al-Nassr and Al-Shabab currently top the group with 4 points each, followed by Al-Zamalek on 3, while Al-Ittihad Monastir are out of the running.

In Group D, Shabab Belouizdad of Algeria will play Al-Kuwait in Khamis Mushait, while Emirati side Al-Wahda take on Morocco’s Al-Raja in Abha. Kick-off time for both games is 4 p.m. KSA time. Al-Wahda and Al-Raja top the group table with the maximum 6 points each after two games and have already qualified.