Qarshi, Uzbekistan - Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal secured a thrilling 3-2 victory against Uzbekistan's Nasaf Qarshi, propelling them to the summit of their group in the Asian Champions League Elite, boasting a perfect record from their first two matches.
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic opened the scoring for Al-Hilal, but the home side responded through a stunning long-range effort by Sardorbek Bakhromov, leveling the match in the first half.
Post halftime, French international Theo Hernandez dazzled by weaving through five defenders and finding the back of the net from inside the box, restoring Al-Hilal's advantage. Nasaf's Javokhir Sidikov brought the match back to life by leveling again, but Marcos Leonardo ensured victory for the four-time champions with a decisive goal in the 79th minute.
"We played well with a fast tempo to secure a positive result," remarked Al-Hilal coach Simone Inzaghi. "While we should have closed out the game earlier, as we missed numerous chances, Nasaf proved to be a formidable opponent."
Elsewhere, Al-Ahli, the reigning champions, were held to a 2-2 draw by Qatar's Al-Duhail. The Saudi squad fell behind early when Edmilson Junior capitalized on a rebound from Adil Boulbina's shot that struck the post.
Al-Ahli's Brazilian forward, Matheus Goncalves, equalized with a precise low strike just three minutes before the halftime whistle. Moments later, Riyad Mahrez—celebrated for winning the Champions League with Manchester City in 2021—intercepted a goalkeeper's misstep to give Al-Ahli the lead.
However, Polish forward Krzysztof Piatek's header three minutes into the second half salvaged a draw for Al-Duhail.
In other fixtures, Iran's Tractor played out a 0-0 stalemate with the United Arab Emirates' Al-Wahda, while Qatar's Al-Gharafa defeated Iraq's Al-Shorta 2-0.
(AP)
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