Al-Hilal’s world record 34-match winning streak ended with a 4-2 defeat by Al-Ain in the Asian Champions League semi-final. Coach Jorge Jesus denied any complacency: “There is no such thing called overconfidence,” he said. “In football, you can’t control what happens in the match.”
Al-Ain’s Moroccan striker Soufiane Rahimi scored a first-half hat-trick, including two penalties, securing a 3-0 lead by the 38th minute. Al-Hilal responded with goals from Brazilian striker Malcom and Salem Al-Dawsari, but a penalty by Al-Ain’s Kaku kept the hosts ahead.
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“We are not used to conceding four goals,” Jesus admitted. “We should sit and analyze why this happened and correct it.”
Despite the loss, Jesus remained optimistic about their competitiveness and the upcoming return leg. “The most important thing in life and in football is to be competitive. We want to reach the final and we will rectify the issues before the return leg,” he asserted.
The teams will face off again in Riyadh next Tuesday, with the winner progressing to the final against either Ulsan Hyundai or Yokohama F Marinos.
Al-Ain’s response
Al-Ain coach Hernan Crespo highlighted the importance of the next match: “Nothing is decided as we still have a match in Riyadh and everyone should be ready for the next match,” he commented.
As both teams prepare for their critical second leg, the question remains: can Al-Hilal overcome this rare defeat to continue their quest for the championship? Only time will tell.
Remembering Zagallo
Sambafoot Series launched a new documentary about the football legend Zagallo. Known as ‘Velho Lobo‘ and as superstitious as it gets, Zagallo helped shape what Brazilian football is nowadays — as a player and as a coach.
The first episode is available on Sambafoot’s Youtube channel and the series will receive weekly releases to tell this legend’s life story.
