Al Ahli players celebrate after scoring against Al Hilal during a AFC Champions League Elite semifinal soccer match at Alinma Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, April, 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Ali Issa)
Al Ahli players celebrate after they defeated Al Hilal in a AFC Champions League Elite semifinal soccer match at Alinma Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, April, 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Ali Issa)
Al Hilal’s Salem Al-Dawsari, left, avoids the sliding challenge from Al Ahli’s Ali Majrashi during a semifinal match in the AFC Champions League Elite soccer tournament at Alinma Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, April, 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Ali Issa)
Al Hilal’s Aleksandar Mitrovic reacts to the referee during a AFC Champions League Elite semifinal soccer match against Al Hilal at Alinma Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, April, 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Ali Issa)
Al Ahli’s Wenderson Galeno, right, fights for the ball with Al Hilal’s Hamad Al-Tuhayfan during a AFC Champions League Elite semifinal soccer match at Alinma Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, April, 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Ali Issa)
Firmino and Toney score as Al-Ahli reaches Asian Champions League final
JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (AP) 鈥 Roberto Firmino and Ivan Toney scored as Al-Ahli beat Al-Hilal 3-1 to reach the final of the Asian Champions League on Tuesday.
Al Ahli players celebrate after scoring against Al Hilal during a AFC Champions League Elite semifinal soccer match at Alinma Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, April, 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Ali Issa)
JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (AP) 鈥 Roberto Firmino and Ivan Toney scored as Al-Ahli beat Al-Hilal 3-1 to reach the final of the Asian Champions League on Tuesday.
The all-Saudi Arabian semifinal was played before more than 50,000 fans at King Abdullah Sports City stadium in Al-Ahli鈥檚 home city.
Al-Ahli will take on the winner of Wednesday鈥檚 clash between Al-Nassr, also of Saudi Arabia, and Japan鈥檚 Kawasaki Frontale in Sunday鈥檚 final.
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鈥淎l-Ahli was the better team,鈥 Al-Hilal coach Jorge Jesus said. 鈥淭his was a game between two good teams and while we had some good periods in the game, they outperformed us.鈥
It took just nine minutes for Al-Ahli to open the scoring as Firmino, who joined the club from Liverpool in 2023, shot home from inside the area.
Just before the half-hour, ex-Manchester City forward Riyad Mahrez set up Toney for the England striker to make it 2-0.
Al-Hilal hit back after 42 minutes as Saudi Arabian international Salem Al-Dawsari scored his 10th goal of the tournament so far.
On the hour, Al-Hilal was reduced to 10 men as former Chelsea defender Kalidou Koulibaly was shown a second yellow card.
There was still time for former Barcelona and AC Milan star Franck Kessie to see his penalty saved by Hilal鈥檚 Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.
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In stoppage time, however, Firas Al-Buraikan made it 3-1 to seal a famous win for Al-Ahli and a first final appearance since 2012.
鈥淚t was a great night for us and our fans,鈥 Al-Ahli coach Matthias Jaissle said. 鈥淲e are now just one step away from the title and all our focus is on that. We don鈥檛 mind who we play, Al-Nassr or Kawasaki. We will be ready.鈥
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