Al Hilal aims to overcome Al Sadd in the 'Elite'
Saudi Al Hilal seeks its first Champions League victory against Qatari Al Sadd, while the latter struggles with losses.
Translated by Qiyas from الراي — Original source
Dubai (AFP) – Saudi side Al Hilal aim to overcome Qatari opponents Al Sadd in the second round of the West Zone within the unified group stage of the AFC Champions League Elite.
After their surprise defeat to Neom in the domestic league last September, Al Hilal have secured three victories across all competitions and hope to edge out Al Sadd, who are also seeking their first win.
Al Hilal received a significant morale boost after beating rivals Al-Ittihad 3-2 in the league. Italian coach Simone Inzaghi praised all his players following the victory.
Inzaghi said of his English striker Ollie Watkins: “He has delivered an excellent performance, improving day by day and integrating well with the team. He looked fantastic in the matches against Al-Taawoun and Al-Ittihad, and I congratulate him very much on his performance.”
Meanwhile, troubles have doubled for the team coached by Romanian manager Razvan Lucescu, as Al Sadd suffered their first league defeat against Al-Arabi 2-3, forcing them to relinquish the top spot they had held for four weeks.
In another match, UAE side Al-Ahli Dubai travel to face Saudi Al-Ittihad, carrying memories of last season when they were defeated 1-0 in Jeddah.
