Al Rayyan: Reigning Saudi Pro League champions Al Hilal defeated hosts Al Rayyan 3-1 in their thrilling AFC Champions League (ACL) Elite opener at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium yesterday. The thrilling game saw both the teams creating multiple opportunities with the visitors being rewarded for their precision as they got off to a strong start in their quest for a fifth continental title. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic scored the opener for Jorge Jesus’ side in 15th minute with Joao Cancelo and Marcos Leonardo’s goals late in the first half sealing their win.
Al Rayyan couldn’t find more goals after Roger Guedes launched a fightback with a strike two minutes into the second half. “It’s a disappointing defeat as we played well. The score-line doesn’t reflect our performance,” said Al Rayyan coach Poya Asbaghi.
“A decline in performance late in the second half allowed Al Hilal to score two quick goals. When you let your guard down against Al Hilal, you’re going to concede goals. We made a strong comeback in the second half, pressing hard and even managing to score a goal.
” “It’s not enough to play well in attack; we need to improve our defensive play. If we can address this in the future, we’ll bounce back in the coming matches,” said the coach. The hosts started on a bright note with Guedes testing Al Hilal goalkeeper Yassine Bounou “Bono’ with a fiery shot from outside the box within the first 10 seconds of kick off.
The Moroccan goalkeeper then saved another .