Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Riyadh: Captain Mohammed Shalhoub slotted home a 57th minute penalty as Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal secured a 3-0 win over Persepolis at King Fahd International Stadium on Tuesday as last year’s beaten finalists claimed a 3-1 aggregate win that takes them into the quarter-finals of the 2015 AFC Champions League.
Persepolis led 1-0 from the first leg at the Azadi Stadium thanks to a late own goal by defender Digao, but Branko Ivankovic’s side rarely troubled their Saudi Arabian hosts in the return leg and Al Hilal will now go into next month’s draw.
Yousef Al Salem gave Al Hilal the lead and levelled the scores on aggregate in the 29th minute before Shalhoub – a veteran of Al Hilal’s title win in the Asian Club Championship back in 2000 – put the Saudis in front in the tie for the first time just before the hour mark when he drove home his spot kick.
Substitute Abdulaziz Al Dawsari hammered the final nail into Persepolis’ coffin in stoppage time as Al Hilal rounded out a dominant display that ended with Iranian striker Mehdi Taremi being sent off in the dying seconds for a second bookable offence.
Solidarity the secret of our success says delighted Donis
Second goal killed us but Hilal deserved the win concedes Ivankovic
Midfielder Thiago Neves started on the bench for Al Hilal after missing the first leg due to injury but the home side rarely missed the Brazilian as they dominated against a Persepolis side set up to defend.
For the opening quarter of the game the Iranians looked comfortable, with Michael Umana and Alireza Nourmohammadi in command at the back, although before long Al Hilal were turning the screw.
Al Salem finally found a way behind the Persepolis defence in the 25th minute only to see his effort deflected into the side netting while, two minutes later, Umana was called upon to make a last ditch clearance to deny the Al Hilal striker.
In the 29th minute, though, the goal came. Nawaf Al Abid’s inch-perfect pass released Abdullah Al Dossary down the left side and his cutback gave Al Salem time and space to beat Sousha Makani with ease.
Al Salem almost added a second four minutes before the interval only for Nourmohammadi to deflect the attempt wide while Saud Kariri drove his effort from distance over the bar.
With the scores now level on aggregate, the game opened in the second half but Al Hilal retained the upper hand, with Al Dossary shooting across the Persepolis goal in the 53rd minute.
Two minutes later, referee Valentino Kovalenko was pointing to the penalty spot when Faisal Darwish’s attempted cross hit Nourmohammadi on the hand and, after several minutes of commotion, Shalhoub struck with aplomb.
Persepolis were forced to finally open up and try to attack, leaving themselves vulnerable on the break and, in the dying seconds Al Dawsari slotted beyond Makani before Taremi received his marching orders for a late challenge on Thiago Neves.
Photo: AFP