Al-Shamal Upsets Al-Hilal... Al-Ahli Youth Continues Winning Streak

Al-Ahli Club of Sharjah secured the best start in its history with a third consecutive victory, defeating Iranian guests Esteghlal 2-0, while Qatari side Al-Shamal also recorded their first win of the season by beating Saudi hosts Al-Hilal 3-1, on the eve of yesterday, concluding the third round of the AFC Champions League Elite.

In the first match, substitutes Thomas Lima (69th minute) and Juan Perez (84th minute) scored for Al-Ahli, raising their tally to nine points and placing them second, separated from league leaders Al-Ain by goal difference, as both teams remain undefeated. Al-Ahli had never previously won their first three matches in the continental tournament under either its old or new format, becoming the fourth Emirati club to achieve this feat, after Al-Ain twice (in 2003 and 2023-2024), Al-Wahda in 2007, and Al-Jazira in 2012. Al-Ahli also maintained their superiority over Esteghlal, having previously defeated them 2-1 and drawn 1-1 in the 2017 edition. Esteghlal, suffering their first loss after two wins, dropped to fourth place with six points.

In the second match, Al-Shamal inflicted Al-Hilal’s first defeat of the campaign with a 3-1 victory. Goals for Al-Shamal were scored by Frenchman Wesley Said (8th minute), Algerian Baghdad Bounedjah (49th minute), and Tunisian Mohamed Ben Ramdane (54th minute), while Al-Hilal’s captain Salem Al-Dawsari scored their only goal (32nd minute). The Qatari side achieved an unprecedented win in their debut campaign, moving to five points and rising to sixth place without a loss, while Al-Hilal, hampered by several injury absences, remained on six points and slipped to fifth place.

Al-Shamal revealed their attacking intentions early when Said hit the post following a pass from Portuguese midfielder Thiago Silva (4th minute). Under Spanish coach David Prats, the team achieved their desired result by taking the lead through a well-worked move initiated by new signing Riyad Mahrez, who passed to Bounedjah, who then set up Said to finish (8th minute). Al-Dawsari equalized after a brilliant solo effort, which he both started and finished, following a pass from Hernandez (32nd minute). Al-Shamal struggled to regain the lead, missing a double chance when Mahrez’s header, following a Bounedjah pass, rebounded off the post, and Bounedjah’s subsequent powerful shot was kept out by Turkish goalkeeper Yusuf Aktaş (35th minute).

Al-Shamal replicated their first-half performance at the start of the second half, regaining the lead early with a purely Algerian goal after Mahrez passed to Bounedjah in front of the goal (49th minute). Al-Hilal had barely recovered from the shock of conceding the second goal when they conceded a third, as Mahrez took a free-kick that Ben Ramdane finished inside the net (54th minute). Italian coach Simone Inzaghi appealed to English striker Ollie Watkins, Senegalese defender Kalidou Koulibaly, and Sultan Mandash in a sustained attack, but to no avail in terms of scoring.

On another note, Algerian Baghdad Bounedjah of Al-Shamal expressed his happiness with his team’s 3-1 victory over Saudi Al-Hilal on the eve of yesterday in the third round of the AFC Champions League Elite. Speaking to beIN Sports, Bounedjah said: “We played against a big team, one of the best in Asia, but we delivered a high level of performance and knew how to control the match in the best way.” He added: “We showed courage and didn’t retreat; we attacked, scored goals, and secured a deserved victory, which is the team’s first in the competition. This will certainly serve as a strong motivation for the journey ahead.”

For his part, Al-Hilal striker Salem Al-Dawsari said his team entered the match seeking victory, as part of Al-Hilal’s traditions, regardless of the absences in their ranks. He added: “We did our best and created chances, but we weren’t successful. We look forward to returning to winning ways quickly.”