Al Hilal Saw Victory Over Al-Rayyan with 3-1 at the Elite Phase of AFC Champions League
In an impressive 3-1 victory over Al-Rayyan on 17 September 2024, Al Hilal gained victory at AFC Champions League Elite. The Saudi Arabia club emerged victorious with potent performance, from Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and other goals made by João Cancelo and Matheus Leonardo, after a late consolation goal by Al-Rayyan’s Rodrigo Guedes.
First Half: Dominance of Al Hilal in the Game’s Early Stage
Al Hilal started showing their intentions to impose themselves on the game with superior possession and constantly pressing forward up the pitch. They enjoyed 58% possession, and the chances created by this came aplenty for them to score, thus dominating proceedings. Al-Rayyan could not get close to the desired intensity of the match as well as the technical input expected of their counterparts.
The first goal would come as early as the 15th minute, and this came from the midfield maestro of Al Hilal, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic. A perfect delivery from Brazilian winger Malcom reached Milinkovic-Savic, and he did not make a mistake by scoring clinically to give Al Hilal the advantage, which was 1-0.
Al-Rayyan was able to respond, however; they could not break the stern rearguard of Al Hilal. Even though they came close with a few attempts on goal, this did not help them level matters at half-time. Al Hilal continued to keep their foot on the pedal by insisting on threatening the home side’s defense.
Cancelo and Leonardo Strike Before Half-Time
It was the final half-hour of the match as Al Hilal celebrated further to make it 2-0 on the back of a Cancelo attempt that beat the goalkeeper inside his net from inside the penalty area. This time, Malcom timed another very timely pass from the flank to prepare an excellent move on the right side.
It was only two minutes later, in the 44th minute, that Matheus Leonardo also increased the count to put Al Hilal in a commanding position in the game. João Cancelo provided this time, as he got across a cross for Leonardo, who calmly turned it around into the net to take the count to 3-0 as the teams walked into halftime.
Their defense was in shambles and though their goalkeeper managed to keep some balls out, it made little difference against Al Hilal’s waves.
Second Half: Al-Rayyan Revival Unmatched
The second half saw Al-Rayyan play much more aggressively while trying to regain their composure in the match. Their hard work soon paid off as early as in the 47th minute with Rodrigo Guedes sending a well-placed shot into the back of the net, assisted by Achraf Bencharki; the match was reduced to 3-1.
This gave Al-Rayyan a brief respite in renewal, as they proved to have more threatening attacking occasions than Al Hilal, which they totaled 74 dangerous attacks to Al Hilal’s 97, however their efforts would once again come to naught in relation to a strong defense that Al Hilal puts in, the goalkeeper there was on his best game as he made vital saves for Al Hilal, though Al Hilal eventually won the game with a two-goal cushion.
Though Al Hilal had tightened up in defense after the three-goal lead, they still threatened on the counterattack and Al-Rayyan could not find any breakthroughs.
Penalty Miss and Frustration for Al-Rayyan
Picking up from where they left in the first leg where Al-Rayyan failed to convert penalty, they repeated the same mistake which didn’t help at all as the match went to the end with Al-Hilal winning it 3-1.
One of Al-Rayyan’s best chances to catch up during the match came in the 71st minute when Aleksandar Mitrovic stepped up to take a penalty. However, the Serbian striker failed to convert his crucial spot-kick for Al-Rayyan, crushing its comeback ambitions. The penalty miss encapsulated their frustration at not being able to capitalize on their chances in that thoroughly disappointing match.
The two teams could hardly be separated for the quantity of shots they registered on target, at nine apiece, but Al-Rayyan was stingy in converting those chances, once again failing to score. As the game wore on, Al Hilal’s defensive gaffes and their lack of ability to find the back of the net sealed their fate.
Al Hilal’s Substitutions and Game Management
Towards the end of the match, Al Hilal began making a few strategic substitutions. More fresh legs, Mohammed Al Qahtani, had joined in and kept the game going with others. Even João Cancelo was replaced in the 90th minute as he had played a pertinent role both in scoring and in creating. He was applauded warmly for such a perfect display of the game.
Al-Rayyan tried to make some changes looking for something positive out of the match. They brought in Abdelkarim Al-Rawi and Ahmed Al Minhali. But, it was too late for this lineup to threaten the home side seriously.
Coping to Defend and Technical Discipline
Al Hilal were well in defense, not giving in to any of the threats the Al-Rayyan was posing to them. Their defense cumulatively, with 15 interceptions and eight saves, was indeed pivotal in keeping the scoreline in their favor. While each team committed eight fouls, Al Hilal’s tactical discipline did not let them allow more concede go.
Discipline was stretched to the limit, as both sides picked up one yellow card each. Milinkovic-Savic gets cautioned in the 90th minute, Hossam Shehata Al-Rayyan had his booked even earlier in the 24th minute as well for rash challenge.
Passing and Build-up Play
Al Hilal dominated possession and out-passed their opponents with 560 passes against 387. Cancelo, Malcom, and Milinkovic-Savic were behind much of Al Hilal’s build-ups, and quick interchange play really tested Al-Rayyan’s defense to the limit on several occasions.
Despite 16 total crosses from Al-Rayyan and more corners, seven by their opponents, than Al Hilal, who reached fourteen corners, they still could not break through Al Hilal’s defense. Game management in passing and striking balance made it end as the deciding factor.
Conclusion: All-rounded win for Al Hilal
Such a huge win against Al-Rayyan by Al Hilal in the Elite of the AFC Champions League was because of the quality that they have and the depth that they carry within the team. The Saudi club sounded an important message to the rest of the competition with some outstanding performances from Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, João Cancelo, and Matheus Leonardo. Not that Al-Rayyan did not make a comeback in the second half of the game by scoring through Rodrigo Guedes, but it was certainly the composure and the tactical awareness of Al Hilal that guaranteed them a much-deserved win.
This result not only underlines Al Hilal’s status as one of the favorites in the competition but puts Al-Rayyan on an improvement pedestal if they are going to go further.
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