Al Hilal progress to AFC Champions League final Saudi Arabian side record 6-2 aggregate victory over Persepolis Will face the winner of Urawa-Shanghai SIPG in final
Al Hilal progressed to the final of the AFC Champions League after a 2-2 draw against Persepolis at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Muscat.
The Saudi Arabian giants went into the second leg against their Iranian opponents in a commanding position after claiming a 4-0 victory in the first leg.
Persepolis looked the better side going forward in the early stages, taking the lead on 16 minutes when Godwin Mensha headed past goalkeeper Abdullah Al Mayouf. But the Iranian side’s hopes of staging a fightback and overturning the aggregate deficit were thwarted when Al Hilal’s Omar Khribin converted a spot-kick on the half-hour mark.
Mensha doubled his tally on 62 minutes, finding the bottom corner with a powerful effort after pouncing onto a loose ball, but the Saudi Arabian side soon hit back with another equaliser.
It was Khribin who restored parity with his second on 76 minutes. Salem Al Dawsari raced down the left flank before playing a low pass into the area to the Syrian and, with his back to goal, turned, got his shot off and found the back of Ali Beiranvand's net.
Al Hilal will face the winner of Urawa Red Diamonds-Shanghai SIPG who meet at Saitama Stadium on Wednesday. The two sides played out a 1-1 draw in the first leg with Urawa's Yosuke Kashiwagi cancelling out Hulk's emphatic long-range opener. The winner of the AFC Champions League will progress to the FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2017.
Congratulations to @Alhilal_FC for qualifying for the #ACL2017 Final! pic.twitter.com/SNC0ghu5hd
— AFC Champions League (@TheAFCCL) October 17, 2017
Source: fifa.com