Al Hilal’s efforts to reach the 2024 AFC Champions League final failed, after it defeated its guest Al Ain 2-1 in the second leg of the semi-final at Kingdom Arena.
The first leg at Hazza Bin Ziyad Stadium ended with Al Ain winning 4-2, bringing the total of the two matches to 5-4, thus qualifying the Emirati club to the final.
Ruben Neves gave Al Hilal the lead from a penalty kick in the first minute, then Al Ain equalized through Eric Menezes in the 12th minute.
Salem Al-Dosari restored Al-Hilal’s hopes of returning with a second goal in the 51st minute, but the brilliance of goalkeeper Khaled Issa then prevented the Blue Wave from adjusting the score and making a remontada.
Who is Al Ain’s opponent in the 2024 AFC Champions League final?
As usual, a team from the West qualifies to meet a team from East Asia in the Champions League final, and the West team in this edition is Al Ain after 3 editions in which Al Hilal was the Western side.
Al Ain will meet the winner of the match between South Korea’s Ulsan and Japan’s Yokohama, knowing that the first leg resulted in a win for the former with an unanswered goal, awaiting the return match on Wednesday.
2024 AFC Champions League final date
Al Ain will face the winner of the Ulsan-Yokohama match in the first leg at the East Representative Stadium on Saturday, May 11, 2024.
As for the return match, it will be held at Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium on Saturday, May 25, 2024.
