Al-Hilal suffered a 1-0 defeat to Pakhtakor in Tashkent on Tuesday in the first leg of their AFC Champions League Elite round-of-16 tie. A first-half goal by Brazilian forward Flamarion gave the Uzbek side the advantage heading into next week’s return leg. Despite dominating their group stage, Al-Hilal struggled in freezing conditions, failing to match Pakhtakor’s intensity.
The four-time champions, plagued by injuries and poor form, have won just once in their last five league games, slipping six points behind Saudi Pro League leaders Al-Ittihad. Their defensive woes continued as they conceded for the eighth time in 10 matches, with Flamarion capitalizing on a cross to score from close range. Al-Hilal improved in the second half, with Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Abdullah Al-Hamdan coming close, but Pakhtakor held firm to secure a deserved victory.
In contrast, Saudi Pro League rivals Al-Ahli delivered a commanding 3-1 win over Qatar’s Al-Rayyan. Galeno opened the scoring on the half-hour mark, followed by Riyad Mahrez’s strike four minutes later, both assisted by Roberto Firmino. Despite Roger Guedes pulling one back for Al-Rayyan with a stunning effort, Firas Al-Buraikan sealed the win in stoppage time, giving Al-Ahli a strong advantage ahead of the second leg.
While Al-Hilal face an uphill battle to keep their AFC Champions League hopes alive, Al-Ahli are well-placed to advance to the quarter-finals.
Al-Hilal Stumble in Uzbekistan, Al-Ahli Shine in AFC Champions League Last-16 Clashes
