RIYADH — Al Hilal delivered a dominant display to book their place in the AFC Champions League Elite 2024/25 quarter-finals, thrashing Uzbekistan's Pakhtakor 4-0 at Kingdom Arena on Tuesday. The four-time Asian champions overturned a 1-0 first-leg deficit in emphatic fashion, keeping their quest for a record-extending fifth continental title firmly on track. Pakhtakor stuck with the lineup that earned them victory in the first leg, while Al Hilal head coach Jorge Jesus made key adjustments, including pairing Mohamed Kanno with Rúben Neves in midfield and giving Hamad Al-Yami a starting role in defense. Al Hilal signaled their attacking intent from the start, with Kanno, Neves, and Malcom piling the pressure on Pakhtakor goalkeeper Jhonatan. Despite their early dominance, the hosts had to wait until the 31st minute to break the deadlock. Salem Al-Dawsari recovered possession high up the pitch and found Kanno, who delivered a perfect cross for Al-Yami to head home with a diving effort. The Saudi Pro League leaders almost doubled their lead four minutes later, but Moteb Al-Harbi's header was brilliantly saved by Jhonatan. However, Al Hilal would not be denied, and their second goal arrived in the 42nd minute following a brilliant sequence of play. Kanno surged past Pakhtakor's midfield before sliding a precise through ball to Malcom, who coolly slotted home into the bottom right corner to send the home crowd into a frenzy. Pakhtakor nearly pulled one back just before halftime when Khojiakbar Alijonov set up Flamarion, but Yassine Bounou produced an acrobatic save to maintain Al Hilal's two-goal advantage. Al Hilal resumed their attacking onslaught in the second half, and in the 51st minute, Al-Dawsari won and converted a penalty, sending Jhonatan the wrong way to make it 3-0. The hosts continued to press, with Kaio César teeing up Al-Dawsari for a shot in the 70th minute, but Jhonatan denied him. Marcos Leonardo pounced on the rebound, only for his close-range finish to be ruled offside. The final blow came in stoppage time, as Nasser Al-Dawsari latched onto an Abdullah Al-Hamdan assist to wrap up a resounding 4-0 victory, sealing Al Hilal's place in the AFC Champions League quarter-finals.
