Watkins Double Lifts Al-Hilal Past Shabab Al-Ahli 2-0 as Esteghlal Beat Al-Shamal 1-0 With 91st-Minute Winner in AFC Champions League Elite
Al-Hilal beat Shabab Al-Ahli 2-0 at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh on Tuesday, November 3, in Matchday 4 of the AFC Champions League Elite league phase in the West Zone. Ollie Watkins scored both goals, one early in each half. The win took Al-Hilal to nine points and ended Shabab Al-Ahli's perfect start to the competition. Earlier in the day, Esteghlal beat Al-Shamal 1-0 with a goal in the 91st minute.
Al-Hilal went into the game after a 3-1 loss to Qatar's Al-Shamal a week earlier. That defeat came with a second-string side and was their first league-phase loss since the competition began. It worried fans who want a first continental title since 2021. Simone Inzaghi's side responded well.
The opener came in the sixth minute. Kalidou Koulibaly won the ball in Shabab Al-Ahli's half, dribbled past a defender and drove into the penalty area. He laid the ball off to Watkins, who held off Nemanja Maksimovic and steered his shot into the bottom corner. Watkins scored again just after the restart. Yusuf Akcicek delivered a ball behind the Shabab Al-Ahli defence, and Watkins guided it across goalkeeper Matheus Donelli to make it 2-0. Both goals were created by Al-Hilal's centre-backs.
From there, Al-Hilal settled into a compact 5-4-1 shape and saw out the win. Watkins now has eight goals since he joined the club in the summer. He has also made five assists and has been directly involved in 13 goals in 11 appearances in all competitions. Watkins said it was a tough game against a very good team, and that he was happy to score two goals.
Shabab Al-Ahli, coached by Andre Jardine, had won their first three matches. Jardine said any mistake against a team of Al-Hilal's level could lead to defeat. The UAE side stay on nine points.
In the other West Zone game, Esteghlal of Iran beat Al-Shamal 1-0. Albania international Jasir Asani scored the winner in the 91st minute. It was his third goal in four matches in the competition. The win helped Esteghlal bounce back from their defeat to Shabab Al-Ahli the week before. For Al-Shamal, who had beaten Al-Hilal on Matchday 3, it was a disappointing finish.
The results leave three teams level on nine points. Al-Hilal are second in the West Zone standings, with Esteghlal and Shabab Al-Ahli behind them on goal difference. The league phase has now reached the halfway point.