Al-Hilal Triumphs in ACL Opener; Comebacks, Surprises Mark the Day

Riyadh, Sep 17 (AP) Al-Hilal kicked off their Asian Champions League campaign with a 2-1 triumph over Qatar's Al-Duhail. New recruits Darwin Nunez and Theo Hernandez made an immediate impact for the Saudi side, having been acquired this summer from Liverpool and AC Milan respectively. They both netted in the second half, overturning a first-half deficit created by Al-Duhail's Algerian attacker, Adil Boulbina, who struck after 37 minutes. Simone Inzaghi, recently installed as Al-Hilal's head coach following his tenure at Inter Milan, secured his inaugural Asian victory.

On the same day, reigning champions Al-Ahli showcased a remarkable comeback to defeat Uzbekistan's Nasaf Qarshi 4-2 in Jeddah. Down by two goals, French midfielder Enzo Millot leveled the scoreline with two second-half strikes. Riyad Mahrez's injury-time goal handed Al-Ahli the lead, and Mohammed Sulaiman sealed the win with a fourth goal. Meanwhile, Saudi Pro League holders Al-Ittihad fell 2-1 to UAE's Al-Wahda. Despite Steven Bergwijn giving Al-Ittihad a first-half lead, the Emirati team roared back with goals from Caio Canedo and Lucas Pimenta in the second half.

Elsewhere in the western section of this 24-team tournament, Iran's Tractor SC ended in a 1-1 draw with Dubai's Shabab Al-Ahli, while UAE's Sharjah edged Qatar's Al-Gharafa 4-3. Iraq's Al-Shorta and Qatar's Al-Sadd also shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw. In the eastern zone, Japan's Sanfrecce Hiroshima clinched a 2-0 win at Melbourne City. South Korea's Gangwon FC, featuring in the competition for the first time, marked the occasion with a 2-1 win over China's Shanghai Shenhua. Japan's debutant Machida Zelvia drew 1-1 with South Korea's FC Seoul. Thailand's Buriram United secured a 2-1 victory over Malaysia's Johor Darul Tazim.

The top eight teams from both zones will progress to the round of 16. (AP) APA APA

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