Two-time Asian Club Championship winners Al-Hilal secured a return to the continental final for the first time in 13 years despite losing Tuesday's AFC Champions League semifinal second leg 2-1 to Al Ain at Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium. Hilal advanced 4-2 on aggregate after they had won the first leg 3-0 in Riyadh. A 10th minute header from Korean midfielder Lee Myung-joo had given inaugural AFC Champions League winners Al Ain hope of overturning a 3-0 deficit from the first leg in Riyadh. But with Nassir Al Shamrani netting his 10th goal of the campaign just after the hour mark, Jires Kembo-Ekoko's strike with 12 minutes remaining was not enough for Al Ain as Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal sealed a 4-2 aggregate triumph. With the temperature at 37 degrees Celsius inside a raucous Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium at kick-off, Al Ain started at a fast pace needing to overturn a three-goal deficit from the first leg in Riyadh two weeks ago. And the home side were rewarded after just 10 minutes as Omar Abdulrahman's flighted inswinging free kick toward the back post was helped past Al Hilal goalkeeper Abdullah Al Sdairy by a glancing close range header from Korean midfielder Lee. Al Ain continued to press and Al Sdairy had to be on his toes 10 minutes later to pluck Asamoah Gyan's header out of the top corner after the Al Hilal goalkeeper had only clawed away Miroslav Stoch's right-wing cross from under his crossbar toward the lurking Ghanaian striker. Al Hilal still remained dangerous, particularity on the counterattack, but the visitors were almost handed an equalizer 11 minutes before half time as Fawzi Fayez's mis-timed intervention 30 yards from his own goal almost looped over Al Ain goalkeeper Waleed Salem, but the alert custodian averted the danger at the second time of asking. But Al Ain remained the dominant force as Gyan was sent clear by Omar Abdulrahman's slide-rule pass six minutes before half-time only for a heavy touch to deny the striker, who then saw his header from Stoch's cross less than a minute later unconventionally saved by Al Sdairy. And in stoppage time, Al Sdairy was again called into action to save low from Stoch's shot from the edge of the penalty area after Lee had let Omar Abdulrahman's pull-back run onto the Slovakian midfielder. But still needing at least two goals in the second half, Al Ain coach Zlatko Dalic switched to a three-man defense at half-time with the introduction of midfield duo Mohamed Abdulrahman and Ibrahim Diaky. Al Hilal, though, dealt Al Ain's chances a huge blow six minutes after the hour mark as Thiago Neves' scuffed shot fell at the feet of first half substitute Nawaf Al Abid just inside the edge of the penalty area, and the midfielder coolly played in Al Shamrani for the striker to fire high past exposed goalkeeper Salem. And Al Ain's chances suffered a further blow just over four minutes later as Gyan was shown a straight red card following a needless two-footed lunge on Salem Al Dawsari close to the near touchline. Al Ain, though, gave themselves a glimmer of hope with 12 minutes remaining as Kembo-Ekoko turned home from close range after Mohamed Ahmed had turned Omar Abdulrahman's cross back across the face of goal. And again needing three goals to rescue their campaign, Al Ain nearly set-up a frantic finish as only a goalline clearance from Yasir Al Shahrani denied Lee with four minutes remaining. But Al Hilal survived Al Ain's late pressure to secure their place in the final against either Australia's Western Sydney Wanderers or Korea Republic's FC Seoul, with their second leg set to take place on Wednesday. – AN
