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Al Ahli into maiden ACL final

China.org.cn, October 21, 2015

• Al Ahli secured their first-ever passage to the continental final.

  Kwon Kyung-won's strike four minutes into stoppage time earned Al Ahli of the United Arab Emirates their first-ever trip to the final of the AFC Champions League in dramatic fashion as the Dubai-based club secured a dramatic 3-2 win on the night and a 4-3 aggregate win over Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal on Tuesday. The Korea Republic defender struck from just inside the area with a deflected effort to cap a remarkable game that saw the Emiratis take a two-goal lead into the half-time break only for Al Hilal to claw themselves level.

  The Saudis looked set to have booked their place in the final against either Guangzhou Evergrande or Gamba Osaka until Kwon made himself the hero after the Al Hilal defence failed to clear a late set-piece and the ball nestled in the back of the net.

  Goals from Ailton and Carlos Eduardo had seen Al Hilal claw back a two-goal deficit from the first half after Lima and Everton Ribeiro had built on Al Ahli's slender away goals advantage from the first leg.

  At half-time, though, the Saudi club looked to be heading for the exit after a flat opening 45 minutes during which Al Ahli took full advantage of their goal scoring opportunities.

  Neither side asserted themselves sin a cagey opening, with veteran Al Hilal midfielder Saud Kariri's desperate effort from the edge of the Al Ahli area looping well wide, but by the 17th minute the hosts had taken the lead.

  Habib Al Fardan's pass sliced open the Al Hilal backline, inviting Ahmed Khalil to run into space before the UAE international striker cut back and curled an exquisite low cross towards the far post and Lima fired the ball into the roof of the net from close range.

  Four minutes later, Khalil could have doubled his side's lead only for Al Sdairy to block his goal-bound shot while just after the half hour mark Lima saw his effort pushed to safety by the Saudi goalkeeper.

  With three minutes remaining in the half, Al Hilal should have pulled level as Yasir Al Shahrani fizzed his low cross towards the far post from the right, but Ailton narrowly missed connecting on the slide.

  It was to prove a costly miss as, on the stroke of half time, Al Ahli doubled their advantage when Everton Ribeiro latched on to Ismail Al Hammadi's lofted ball into the area to lift his effort over Al Sdairy to score.

  AFC Player of the Year Nassir Al Shamrani came on at the start of the second half as Al Hilal coach Georgios Donis sought a way past the Al Ahli back line and, within six minutes, the Saudis had reduced the deficit when Ailton scored on the turn to finish off a fine move started by Carlos Eduardo on the left and featuring a deft flick by Kariri.

  By the 64th minute Al Hilal were level on the night and ahead – by virtue of the away goals rule – for the first time over the two legs when Carlos Eduardo unleashed a right-foot thunderbolt from 30 yards that goalkeeper Ahmed Mahmood could only reach with his fingertips before it arrowed into the top corner.

  There was still time for both sides to threaten more goals; Lima pulled his effort wide 10 minutes from time before Everton Ribeiro headed over the bar just seconds later, but the drama came four minutes into the five minutes of added time as Kwon struck to ensure Al Ahli became the first club from the UAE to reach the final since Al Ain, inaugural ACL winners in 2003, reached the tournament decider for a second time in 2005.

  Al Ahli will host the first leg of the 2015 final in Dubai's Rashid Stadium on November 7, when they will face either China's Guangzhou Evergrande or Gamba Osaka of Japan. The return will be played on November 21.

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