Al-Ain beats Al-Hilal 4-2, Ulsan tops Yokohama 1-0 in first legs of Asian Champions League SF
Soufiane Rahimi’s hat trick helped Al-Ain of the United Arab Emirates to a 4-2 win over Al-Hilal in the first leg of their Asian Champions League semifinal on Wednesday that also ended the Saudi Arabian team’s 34-game world record winning streak for top tier teams.
The Moroccan international, now the tournament’s leading scorer with 11 goals, struck three times before the break to put the hosts in control ahead of next Tuesday’s second leg in Riyadh.
The game kicked off 24 hours late as it was postponed after thunderstorms and floods in UAE, but it took Rahimi just six minutes to open the scoring for the 2003 champion, guiding home a low shot from just inside the right corner of the area.
He scored twice more from the penalty spot to ensure Al-Ain, coached by former Argentina striker Hernan Crespo, was 3-0 ahead at the break.
Al-Hilal’s Brazilian winger Malcom scored early in the second half for the four-time continental champion, shooting home from close range but a third penalty awarded to the home team, converted by Paraguayan midfielder Kaku, restored the three-goal lead.
With 12 minutes remaining, Asian player of the year Salem Al-Dawsari gave Al-Hilal hope for the return match.
The eventual winner will take on either Ulsan HD of South Korea or Japan’s Yokohama F.Marinos in the final. Ulsan won the first leg 1-0 earlier on Wednesday.
Lee Dong-gyeong’s first-half goal also sent Ulsan to the inaugural 32-team Club World Cup in the United States next year as one of Asia’s four teams at the lucrative monthlong tournament.
Urawa Reds of Japan and Al-Hilal have already booked their places as the last two winners of Asia’s premier club tournament along with European giants such as Real Madrid, Manchester City and Bayern Munich.
Lee scored in the 19th minute from just inside the area, and the host came close to adding to its lead as Joo Min-kyu hit the post twice.
Yokohama, coached by former Leeds and Liverpool forward Harry Kewell, is appearing at the semifinal stage in Asia for the first time.
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