10-man Al-Ahli march into AFC Champions League semi-finals but Al-Ittihad crash out
RIYADH: It was a night of contrasting emotions in Jeddah on Friday. In the north of the city, Al-Ahli fans celebrated at Al-Inma Stadium as their side progressed to the final four of the AFC Champions League Elite with victory over Malaysian side Johor Darul Ta’zim, despite being reduced to 10 men in the first half.
In the south, however, there was disappointment for Al-Ittihad supporters at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City Stadium, as a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Machida Zelvia of Japan ensured that their season is now effectively over.
“We’ve made our vow — we stand behind you forever.” Such was the sentiment of Al-Ahli fans prior to kick-off, expressed in a tifo. More than 40,000 of them turned out to rally their team in the hopes of seeing them move a step closer to becoming only the second team to claim a second-consecutive Champions League trophy; the first, and so far only, team to secure back-to-back titles in the modern era were Al-Ittihad, in 2005 and 2006.
While the energy level on display in the stands was high, the same could not be said on the pitch, however. Al-Ahli took time to settle into the match, and so it was Johor Darul Ta’zim who struck first.
