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The National
27-04-2025
- Sport
- The National
Cristiano Ronaldo and Al Nassr thrash Yokohama F Marinos as Saudi clubs dominate in AFC Champions League
There was always a fear the cash-rich, star-studded sides from Saudi Arabia might overpower their guests from the east of the continent in the first AFC Champions League Elite Finals event. But perhaps not quite to this extent. As it has turned out, it has not even been close. The trio of teams from the Kingdom did not so much beat their opposition in the quarter finals of the new event in Jeddah as thrash them into a sorry pulp. It has been savage. On Friday's opening night, in front of 47,000 raucous fans, domestic champions Al Hilal were merciless against Gwangju. The South Korean side barely stood a chance. They were making their debut on this stage this season, having finished in their highest position of third in the K League last season. Hilal, by contrast, have been champions of Asia four times previously. To say there was a gulf between the two sides understates the point. Al Hilal won 7-0. The second match of the event, on Saturday, looked to be heading the same way. Playing at their own home ground, Al Ahli Saudi were 3-0 up by half-time against Buriram United. At least they eased off the gas thereafter, but the Thai side still were not able to strike a blow. Then, in the late game of Day 2, Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr cruised to a 4-1 win over Yokohama F Marinos. They did not even have to break sweat. The list of goalscorers across the three games is a clue to just how big the gap is between Saudi and the rest. It included Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Aleksandar Mitrovic for Hilal, and Riyad Mahrez and Roberto Firmino for Ahli. Each of the kingpin trio in the Nassr forward line made it on to the scoresheet: Ronaldo, Sadio Mane and Jhon Duran. While the sides from the rest of the continent have been playing catch up, the Saudi giants have been playing Monopoly between themselves over the past two and a half years. The gap between the haves and have-nots is now so vast, it is scarcely a fair fight. Yokohama had reached the final of Asia's top club competition last year, and were only stopped from lifting the trophy by a Soufiane Rahimi-inspired Al Ain. Unlike the holders from the UAE's garden city, at least the Japanese side made it as far as the last eight this time around. Somehow, despite now sitting dead last in the J League, Yokohama topped the league phase of the East region of this competition. Maybe that says more about that side of the draw than it does their qualities. Kawasaki Frontale, also from Japan, could yet strike a blow for the east in the last match of the round. They play Al Sadd of Qatar in the last quarter final on Sunday night, but it feels highly unlikely at this stage the winner of the tournament will come from that fixture. Yokohama only arrived in Jeddah with modest ambitions, so troubled has life been for them since they finished runners up last season. Harry Kewell, who cut an odd and irritable figure on the touchline in last year's final second-leg in Al Ain, has long since been displaced as Yokohama's manager. Steve Holland, the former England assistant coach, was also shipped out from the position recently, meaning the Japanese side arrived here with an interim in charge. Strangely, despite their problems this season, Yokohama actually settled well against their vaunted opposition. At least until Thomas Deng, their Australia centre back, sliced a clearance against a post. It rebounded kindly into the path of Duran, and the floodgates were opened. It was the first of two for the Colombian striker. Mane added a second not long after. Kouta Watanabe summed up Yokohama's travails. He meant well, and got himself a goal – the only one anyone managed against the Saudi sides. But he also picked up two yellow cards and was sent off. It was all so easy for the Riyadh-based team, Ronaldo even had a little sit down on the advertising board after his goal. He might have been having a rest ahead of time. When he was substituted in the 67th minute he was limping, having been felled in a collision with the Yokohama goalkeeper. His continued participation in the tournament did not seem to be a concern, though. Rather Stefano Pioli, the manager, was putting him on ice ahead of Wednesday's semi-final. Nassr will play the winner of the Sadd game against Kawasaki, while Hilal and Ahli will meet in the first semi-final on Tuesday evening.
Observer
26-04-2025
- Sport
- Observer
Al Hilal hit 7 past Gwangju to reach Asian semis
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia: Four-time winners Al Hilal booked their place in the AFC Champions League Elite semifinals on Friday night with a thumping 7-0 win against South Korea's Gwangju in Jeddah. The Saudi Arabian champions, who began the campaign with Brazil superstar Neymar in their ranks before his February return to Santos, romped to victory at King Abdullah Sports City, with 2022 Asian Footballer of the Year Salem al Dawsari the standout. The quarterfinal encounter kicked off the inaugural AFC Champions League Elite Finals, where the continent's top eight teams - four from West Asia, four from the East - compete in a centralised location for the trophy. Al Hilal are one of three Saudi sides in the last eight, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr and Al Ahli, the home team who boast the likes of Riyad Mahrez and Ivan Toney. Al Hilal underlined their credentials by cruising into the last four. They needed all of six minutes to take the lead, when former Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic met AlDawsari's corner to power home a header. Al Hilal doubled their advantage on 25 minutes, Brazilian winger Malcom cutting the ball back for compatriot Marcos Leonardo. The summer signing from Benfica swept his finish past Kim Kyeong-Min in the Gwangju goal. Eight minutes later, Leonardo sent Al Dawsari through on goal, leaving the Saudi Arabia captain to race clear and slide a low shot into the net. Al Dawsari moved to nine goals, making him the joint-top scorer in this season's tournament, alongside Gwangju's Albanian winger Jasir Asani. The only drawback for Al Hilal was that Joao Cancelo, a treble-winner with Manchester City, was forced to leave the pitch shortly before half-time with what appeared to be a hamstring injury. Al Hilal maintained their dominance after the break, with Aleksander Mitrovic adding a fourth in the 55th minute. The ex-Newcastle United and Fulham striker, who has missed a large portion of this season through injury, met fellow Serbian international Milinkovic-Savic's cross to side-foot home. With 12 minutes remaining, Malcom exchanged passes with Mitrovic to slot past Kim for 5-0. Substitute Nasser al Dawsari made it six with a deflected effort from the edge of the penalty area. Abdullah al Hamdan then rifled home from range following Mitrovic's set-up. In next Tuesday's semifinal, Al Hilal will meet either fellow Saudi club Al Ahli or Thailand's Buriram United. Those teams face off on Saturday, also at King Abdullah Sports City. Meanwhile, Ronaldo resumes his quest for continental glory on Saturday, when Al Nassr take on last year's runners-up Yokohama F-Marinos at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City. The Japanese side sacked ex-England assistant manager Steve Holland last week, with Australian Patrick Kisnorbo installed as interim head coach. — AFP
South China Morning Post
26-04-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
AFC Champions League: 4-time champions Al-Hilal hit 7 past Gwangju to reach semi-finals
Four-time winners Al-Hilal booked their place in the AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals on Friday night with a thumping 7-0 win against South Korea's Gwangju in Jeddah. Advertisement The Saudi Arabian champions, who began the campaign with Brazil superstar Neymar in their ranks before his February return to Santos, romped to victory at King Abdullah Sports City, with 2022 Asian Footballer of the Year Salem Al-Dawsari the stand-out. The quarter-final encounter kicked off the inaugural AFC Champions League Elite Finals, where the continent's top eight teams – four from West Asia, four from the East – compete in a centralised location for the trophy. Al-Hilal are one of three Saudi sides in the last eight, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr and Al-Ahli, the home team who boast the likes of Riyad Mahrez and Ivan Toney. Al-Hilal, continental champions in 1991, 2000, 2019 and 2021 and runners-up on five other occasions, were several levels above the K-League side, who are appearing in the competition for the first time. The Saudi team underlined their credentials by cruising into the last four. They needed all of six minutes to take the lead, when former Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic met Al-Dawsari's corner to power home a header.
