Latest news with #GwangjuFC
Ammon
26-04-2025
- Sport
- Ammon
Al-Hilal storm into Champions League last four
Ammon News - Al-Hilal thrashed Gwangju FC 7-0 on Friday to ease into the semifinals of the AFC Champions early goal from Sergej Milinkovic-Savic gave the Saudi Arabians the lead and they never looked back, much to the delight of their fans in were three goals to the good by the break and the second half was even better. On this performance, the four-time champions, who had been in uncertain form in the Saudi Pro League of late, will take some stopping on their quest for a fifth continental took just six minutes for the home fans — who provided a fantastic tifo backdrop — to be celebrating. Salem Al-Dawsari swung over a corner and Milinkovic-Savic broke free at the near post to send a perfect header into the far South Koreans should have been level just three minutes later. Reis' pass sent Jasir Asani through on goal. The stadium sat back waiting for the tournament's top scorer to grab goal No. 10 but his shot was blocked by Yassine Bounou. It turned out to be a turning point in the game because just past the midway point of the first half Hilal extended their had space down the right, found Marcos Leonardo on the edge of the six-yard box and his fellow Brazilian made no mistake with his first-time then turned provider. Still inside his own half, he found Al-Dawsari just inside Gwangju's. The international outpaced the defense, sprinted into the area and found the back of the net with a confident seemed to be that and the win was sealed 10 minutes after the break as Aleksandar Mitrovic got in on the act. Fellow Serbian Milinkovic-Savic swung over a cross from the right and there was the striker to attack the bouncing ball and lash it into the bottom then it was all about how many the Riyadh giants would score. The fifth came 11 minutes from time. Malcom swapped passes with Mitrovic at the edge of the area and then slipped the ball past the goalkeeper. There was time for two more from two Al-Dawsari grabbed the sixth and Abdullah Al-Hamdan completed the can now sit back and prepare for Tuesday's semifinal against either domestic rivals Al-Ahli or Thailand's Buriram United. Arab News
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Al Hilal's blue walkers bring the storm to conquer Gwangju's dragons
Jeddah may not have been a land of always winter, but all the same, Al Hilal were not afraid to bring the storm in the 33 degrees heat to conquer South Korea's Gwangju FC. An emphatic 7-0 triumph saw the Riyadh powerhouse reign supreme at the expense of the Korean side with a dragon for a logo as 48,714 fans raised a 'Game of Thrones' inspired 'Night King' tifo at Alinma Stadium on Friday. Seven different players left their blue hand mark on goalkeeper Kim Kyeong-min's net as Al Hilal became the first Roshn Saudi League representatives to book their place in the 2024-25 AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals, moving a step closer to the throne they previously assumed four times. It took just six minutes for the four-time continental champions to take the lead when Salem Al Dawsari delivered a cross from the corner towards the near post where Sergej Milinkovic-Savic awaited to climb highest and guide his header into the back of the Korean net. Yassine Bounou proved his value minutes later when a defensive mistake allowed Albanian winger Jasir Asani to break free, finding himself in acres of space and plenty of time to finish, only for the Moroccan keeper to deny him with an exceptional right-foot save. The opposition goalkeeper responded in kind, producing three consecutive top drawer saves to deny Al Dawsari, Aleksandar Mitrovic and Milinkovic-Savic as Al Hilal piled up the pressure in the opening half-hour. Marcos Leonardo doubled the Blues' lead in style midway through the first half after a fine passing move saw Malcom drill a low cross from the right for his compatriot who found the bottom corner with a first-time finish. As the home fans raised a stunning tifo inspired by Game of Thrones character 'The Night King', they were rewarded with an equally special goal from club captain Al Dawsari. A well-worked counter attack saw Leonardo feed the number 29 down the left and the veteran embarked on a 40-yard run, beating the last man and calmly slotting past the goalkeeper for 3-0. 𝗛𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲. 𝗛𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝘄. 𝗛𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱.🇸🇦 Salem Al Dawsari. Always leading by example!#ACLElite | #HILvGWA — #ACLElite | #ACLTwo (@TheAFCCL) April 25, 2025 Jorge Jesus' men suffered a blow late in the first half with Joao Cancelo suffering a muscular injury and leaving his place for Yasser Al Shahrani. After the restart, the record AFC Champions League Elite winners picked up exactly where they left off, with their Serbian duo combining for the fourth. Milinkovic-Savic moved in space down the right and picked out his international teammate Mitrovic who hammered home his sixth goal of the competition. Malcom joined the party, adding his name to the scoresheet with 11 minutes to go. The Brazilian exchanged passes with Mitrovic and moved through on goal, before powering in his finish past the hands of the Korean goalkeeper. Substitute Nasser Al Dawsari rounded up the scoring five minutes from time. With he Koreans attempting to play the ball from the back, Kaio Cesar intercepted the ball deep in the Gwangju half and after his initial effort was parried by the goalkeeper, Mitrovic set up Al Dawsari whose drilled effort took a deflection and ended up in the back of the net for the sixth. There was still time for Abdullah Al Hamdan to bag the seventh before the end of 90. Another Mitrovic assist set-up the Saudi international who did not hesitate to blast it in from the edge of the box. POTM goes to The Sergeant 🫡Well deserved 👏💙 — AlHilal Saudi Club (@Alhilal_EN) April 25, 2025 With one challenge out of the away, Al Hilal await the winner between fellow RSL side Al Ahli and Thailand's Buriram United who face-off on Saturday before Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr take on Japan's Yokohama F. Marinos in the later kick-off on the same day.
Arab News
25-04-2025
- Sport
- Arab News
Al-Hilal storm into Champions League last four
JEDDAH: Al-Hilal thrashed Gwangju FC 7-0 on Friday to ease into the semifinals of the AFC Champions League. An early goal from Sergej Milinkovic-Savic gave the Saudi Arabians the lead and they never looked back, much to the delight of their fans in Jeddah. They were three goals to the good by the break and the second half was even better. On this performance, the four-time champions, who had been in uncertain form in the Saudi Pro League of late, will take some stopping on their quest for a fifth continental crown. It took just six minutes for the home fans — who provided a fantastic tifo backdrop — to be celebrating. Salem Al-Dawsari swung over a corner and Milinkovic-Savic broke free at the near post to send a perfect header into the far corner. goals and a clean sheet, can't get better #ACLElite | #HILvGWA — AlHilal Saudi Club (@Alhilal_EN) April 25, 2025 The South Koreans should have been level just three minutes later. Reis' pass sent Jasir Asani through on goal. The stadium sat back waiting for the tournament's top scorer to grab goal No. 10 but his shot was blocked by Yassine Bounou. It turned out to be a turning point in the game because just past the midway point of the first half Hilal extended their lead. Malcom had space down the right, found Marcos Leonardo on the edge of the six-yard box and his fellow Brazilian made no mistake with his first-time shot. Leonardo then turned provider. Still inside his own half, he found Al-Dawsari just inside Gwangju's. The international outpaced the defense, sprinted into the area and found the back of the net with a confident finish. That seemed to be that and the win was sealed 10 minutes after the break as Aleksandar Mitrovic got in on the act. Fellow Serbian Milinkovic-Savic swung over a cross from the right and there was the striker to attack the bouncing ball and lash it into the bottom corner. From then it was all about how many the Riyadh giants would score. The fifth came 11 minutes from time. Malcom swapped passes with Mitrovic at the edge of the area and then slipped the ball past the goalkeeper. There was time for two more from two substitutes. Nasser Al-Dawsari grabbed the sixth and Abdullah Al-Hamdan completed the rout. Al-Hilal can now sit back and prepare for Tuesday's semifinal against either domestic rivals Al-Ahli or Thailand's Buriram United.
Korea Herald
24-04-2025
- Sport
- Korea Herald
Underdogs Gwangju FC set to duel richer, deeper Al Hilal at AFC Champions League Elite
Gwangju FC will try to add a new chapter to their underdog story when they take on a heavily favored Saudi Arabian opponent in a knockout match at the top Asian club football tournament this week. Gwangju FC, the lone remaining K League 1 club, will face Al Hilal in the quarterfinals of the Asian Football Confederation Champions League Elite at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, at 7:30 p.m. Friday, or 1:30 a.m. Saturday. After the two-legged round of 16, the quarterfinals, the semifinals and the championship final will all be one-and-done affairs. Saudi Arabia will be the centralized host country for all remaining knockout matches, including the final on May 3. Coached by Lee Jung-hyo, Gwangju FC have developed a reputation as a feisty team punching above their weight. In the round of 16 at the AFC tournament, they dropped the first leg against Vissel Kobe 2-0 but then won the second leg 3-0 to advance with a 3-2 aggregate win. Al Hilal will present a whole new challenge. They are among the most decorated clubs in the world, having captured 70 official trophies, including four AFC Champions League titles before the tournament was renamed and restructured ahead of the 2024-2025 season. Their star-studded squad features Kalidou Koulibaly, Ruben Neves, Joao Cancelo and Aleksandar Mitrovic. Following Gwangju FC's 2-1 win over FC Seoul in their most recent K League 1 match Saturday, Lee said his team will thrive on their underdog label. "I hope a lot of people will feel inspired by watching us play," he said. "I've told my players that no matter who our opponents are, they should just go play and take on the challenge courageously. The more experience they gain, the better they will become." In a press release issued by the club Wednesday, Lee said he felt confident in Gwangju's chances. "I've analyzed Al Hilal and I think we are better in terms of organization," the coach said. "Football is a team sport and I believe in our team's possibilities. We really want to win the tournament, and we will keep playing our brand of football the way we always have." Midfielder Park Tae-jun, who scored the winning goal Saturday, said he couldn't wait to face Al Hilal. "I'm excited. I know they have some great players but I think we can more than hold our own," he said. "We may not have their individual skills but if we can battle as a team, we should be able to come away with a good result." Gwangju FC, a city-run club with persistent financial issues, can improve their bottom line with a win this week. By reaching the round of 16, cash-strapped Gwangju FC earned US$200,000 in prize money. They made another $400,000 by making it to the quarterfinals. Semifinalists will receive $600,000 each. The runner-up will earn $4 million while the champion will grab $10 million. Last season, Gwangju FC spent about 9.6 billion won in player salaries, or about $6.7 million, according to the K League. (Yonhap)
Arab News
23-04-2025
- Sport
- Arab News
Jeddah gears up for the AFC Champions League Elite finals
JEDDAH: Football fans throughout Asia are turning their eyes to Jeddah, as the coastal city known as the Bride of the Red Sea gears up to host the AFC Champions League Elite finals from April 25 to May 3,2025. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport Quarterfinals Al-Hilal vs. Gwangju FC Al-Ahli vs. Buriram United Yokohama F. Marinos vs. Al-Nassr Kawasaki Frontale vs. Al-Sadd Semifinals Al-Hilal or Gwangju FC vs. Al-Ahli or Buriram United Yokohama F. Marinos or Al-Nassr vs. Kawasaki Frontale or Al-Sadd
