JEDDAH — Al Hilal advanced to the AFC Champions League 2023/24 semi-finals following a compelling 2-0 win against Al Ittihad in the quarter-finals' second leg, held at King Abdullah Sports City on Tuesday. Demonstrating their prowess as the runners-up from the last season, Al Hilal had previously secured a 2-0 victory in the first leg in Riyadh, setting the stage for an anticipated clash with UAE's Al Ain for a chance at the final. Al Ittihad showcased a promising start, aggressively pursuing an early lead. Within the initial moments, Fabinho skillfully navigated the ball to Romarinho, whose attempt was adeptly blocked by Al Hilal's goalkeeper, Mohammed Al Owais. Despite an early setback due to Fabinho's injury, Al Ittihad remained relentless, narrowly missing another scoring opportunity as Romarinho's shot hit the post. Al Ittihad's persistence continued into the second half, with Marwan Al Sahafi and Ahmed Al Ghamdi forcing Al Owais to make critical saves. However, against the momentum, Al Hilal struck first; Yasser Al Shahrani and Sergej Milinković-Savić orchestrated a brilliant play, enabling Al Shahrani to net the first goal, amplifying Al Hilal's aggregate lead to three. The match intensified when Al Ittihad's Hamdallah was sent off with a straight red card after a confrontation with Ali Al Bulayhi. Al Hilal cemented their victory in the final moments as Aleksandar Mitrovic and Malcom connected to score the second goal of the night, ensuring Al Hilal's progression in the tournament. Al Hilal is now poised for a semi-final face-off against Al Ain, led by head coach Hernan Crespo, marking a repeat of last year's semi-final encounter which saw Al Hilal emerge victorious against Crespo's then Al Duhail team.
