Al Hilal were outdone by hosts Pakhtakor in freezing conditions in Tashkent [Getty]
Saudi giants Al Hilal suffered their first defeat in this season’s Asian Champions League Elite, losing 1-0 at Uzbekistan’s Pakhtakor in the first leg of their last-16 tie on Tuesday.
Al Hilal, the record four-time winner, had qualified for the knockout stage as the top team in the West region, recording seven victories and a draw from their eight group matches.
However, the Riyadh team were outdone by hosts Pakhtakor in freezing conditions in Tashkent.
The Uzbek side, who sealed a place in the last 16 in the final round of group games, took a deserved lead at JAR Stadium moments before the half-hour mark when Brazilian Flamarion finished past Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.
Semi-finalists last year, Al Hilal looked to hit back but could not find a way through.
They were without Serbian international Aleksandar Mitrovic, who has been missing through injury since the first week of January.
Al Hilal, last champions in 2021, will hope to use home advantage to help overturn the deficit when the two teams meet in Riyadh in seven days’ time.
There were no such troubles for Saudi counterparts Al Ahli, who saw off Al Rayyan 3-1 in Qatar thanks to goals from Galeno, Riyad Mahrez and Firas Al-Buraikan.
The Jeddah club, with the in-form Ivan Toney up front, struck twice in four first-half minutes at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium.
Captain Roberto Firmino jinked past his marker on the right before floating a cross for Galeno to head home in the 30th minute.
Having signed in January from Porto, Galeno replaced Firmino in Al Ahli’s Saudi Pro League squad, meaning the former Liverpool forward can feature only in the Champions League.
Seeking to add the Asian crown to the 2018-19 UEFA Champions League title he won with Liverpool, Firmino was soon provider again.
This time, the Brazilian rolled an indirect free-kick inside the Al Rayyan penalty area for Mahrez to curl high into the hosts’ goal.
The ex-Manchester City winger now has netted six times and provided seven assists in this season’s competition.
Al Rayyan did pull a goal back 19 minutes from time, when Roger Guedes scored the pick of the goals with a superb right-footed strike. He then rattled the crossbar in injury time.
Al Ahli, though, sealed a two-goal lead in the tie moments later via Al-Buraikan’s close-range finish.
Al Rayyan were then reduced to 10 men when Adam Bareiro was shown a red card following a VAR review.
Al Ahli, who finished second in the group stage to Al Hilal on goal difference, welcome Al Rayyan to Jeddah on 11 March.
Earlier Tuesday, last year’s runners-up Yokohama F-Marinos squeezed past Shanghai Port 1-0 away in their first leg.
Brazilian forward Anderson Lopes netted the winner against the Chinese Super League champions.
Buriram United were held to a goalless draw in Thailand by Malaysia’s Johor Darul Ta’zim.
