The AFC Champions League semifinals kicked off with a thrilling encounter between Al Ain and Al Hilal, with Al Ain emerging as the surprise victors in the first leg.
Heading into the match, Al Hilal, on a remarkable 34-match winning streak, were considered strong favorites. However, Al Ain had other plans and took an early lead, stunning the visitors with a 3-0 advantage within the first 38 minutes.
Al Ain's Soufiane Rahimi was the standout performer, scoring a first-half hat-trick to put his team in a commanding position. Despite Al Hilal's efforts to claw back into the game with goals from Malcom and Al-Dawsari, Al Ain maintained their lead and secured a 4-2 victory in the first leg.
While three of Al Ain's goals came from penalties, their overall performance was described as jaw-dropping, with their attacking duo of Rahimi and Kaku causing constant problems for Al Hilal's defense.
Al Hilal, the reigning champions, will now have to mount a comeback in the second leg to keep their hopes of retaining the title alive. With Al-Dawsari's late goal reducing the deficit to two goals, Al Hilal will look to capitalize on home advantage in the return fixture next Tuesday.
The result serves as a reminder that while the favorites for the AFC Champions League title may still come from the West Asia Zone, teams like Al Ain have shown that upsets are always possible in football.
