HONG KONG – Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal secured a decisive 3-1 victory over Al-Rayyan from Qatar on Tuesday, marking a strong start to the league phase of the Asian Champions League Elite at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium.
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic opened the scoring in the 15th minute, connecting with Malcom’s cross for a powerful header that put Al-Hilal ahead. The Saudi team extended their lead with two goals in quick succession just before halftime. Joao Cancelo capitalized on a through ball from Malcom to score in the 42nd minute, followed by Cancelo assisting Marcos Leonardo to find the net from close range in the 44th minute.
Al-Hilal could have added to their tally but saw Aleksandar Mitrovic’s 71st-minute penalty saved by Paulo Victor, and Malcom hit the post later in the game.
In another match earlier that evening, Al-Wasl from the United Arab Emirates defeated Uzbekistan’s Pakhtakor 1-0 in Tashkent, with Moroccan defender Soufiane Bouftini scoring the only goal in the 64th minute.
With these victories, Al-Hilal and Al-Wasl have joined Iran’s Esteghlal and Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ahli as the teams that started the league phase with three points in West Asia.
The tournament features twelve teams from both the eastern and western regions of the continent, competing in a total of eight matches using the Swiss League format. The top eight teams from each region will proceed to the knockout stages.
The Round of 16 is scheduled for March, with the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final set to take place on May 4 in a centralized format in Saudi Arabia.