Al-Hilal beat Al-Ittihad in AFC Champions League clash of giants
Al-Hilal defeated Al-Ittihad, who were without Karim Benzema and saw Kante sent off, in the first leg of their AFC Champions League quarter-final.
Goals from Aleksandar Mitrovic and Salem Al-Dawsari in a stretch of just two minutes moved Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal closer to the AFC Champions League semi-finals as they took a 2-0 lead over Marcelo Gallardo's Al-Ittihad for the return leg in the city of Jeddah.
In the duel between two historic champions - four times Al-Hilal, the last in 2021, and twice Al-Ittihad, winners in 2004 and 2005 - the final stretch of the first half proved decisive in the victory for Jorge Jesus' side, who had already won the 2019 Copa Libertadores final with Flamengo against Gallardo, then at River Plate.
Al-Ittihad, who were again without Karim Benzema and with N'Golo Kante's dismissal determined by VAR at 2-0 down, have not beaten Al-Hilal in any of their last nine meetings, losing eight times.
The second leg will be on 12th March at Al-Ittihad, who will have to come back from 2-0 down to beat the injured Neymar's Al-Hilal in the first leg.