JEDDAH: Al-Hilal thrashed Gwangju FC 7-0 on Friday to ease into the semifinals of the AFC Champions League.
An early goal from Sergej Milinkovic-Savic gave the Saudi Arabians the lead and they never looked back, much to the delight of their fans in Jeddah.
They were three goals to the good by the break and the second half was even better. On this performance, the four-time champions, who had been in uncertain form in the Saudi Pro League of late, will take some stopping on their quest for a fifth continental crown.
It took just six minutes for the home fans — who provided a fantastic tifo backdrop — to be celebrating. Salem Al-Dawsari swung over a corner and Milinkovic-Savic broke free at the near post to send a perfect header into the far corner.
The South Koreans should have been level just three minutes later. Reis’ pass sent Jasir Asani through on goal. The stadium sat back waiting for the tournament’s top scorer to grab goal No. 10 but his shot was blocked by Yassine Bounou. It turned out to be a turning point in the game because just past the midway point of the first half Hilal extended their lead.
Malcom had space down the right, found Marcos Leonardo on the edge of the six-yard box and his fellow Brazilian made no mistake with his first-time shot.
Leonardo then turned provider. Still inside his own half, he found Al-Dawsari just inside Gwangju’s. The international outpaced the defense, sprinted into the area and found the back of the net with a confident finish.
That seemed to be that and the win was sealed 10 minutes after the break as Aleksandar Mitrovic got in on the act. Fellow Serbian Milinkovic-Savic swung over a cross from the right and there was the striker to attack the bouncing ball and lash it into the bottom corner.
From then it was all about how many the Riyadh giants would score. The fifth came 11 minutes from time. Malcom swapped passes with Mitrovic at the edge of the area and then slipped the ball past the goalkeeper. There was time for two more from two substitutes.
Nasser Al-Dawsari grabbed the sixth and Abdullah Al-Hamdan completed the rout.
Al-Hilal can now sit back and prepare for Tuesday’s semifinal against either domestic rivals Al-Ahli or Thailand’s Buriram United.
