HONG KONG: Al-Hilal booked their place in the last 16 of the Asian Champions League Elite on Tuesday despite being held to a 1-1 draw by hosts Al-Sadd in Qatar that ended the Saudi club's perfect start to the league phase of the competition.
The draw, coupled with a 3-1 loss for Iraqi side Al Shorta against Al Wasl from the United Arab Emirates, means Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr also progress having defeated Al-Gharafa on Monday.
The pair join compatriots Al-Ahli as early qualifiers for the knockout rounds with the Jeddah-based side topping the standings in west Asia with maximum points after five matches.
The top eight teams in the 12-club league phase in both west and east Asia advance to the last 16, which will be played over two legs on a home-and-away basis in March.
Al-Hilal took a perfect record into their meeting with Al-Sadd at Jassim bin Hamed Stadium and went in front in the 10th minute when Ali Al-Bulahyi pounced at the far post after Mohammed Kanno had flicked on Salem Al-Dawsari's corner.
Aleksandar Mitrovic hit the crossbar in the second half as Al-Hilal sought a second goal but, with 19 minutes remaining, Al-Sadd levelled when Akram Afif's low cross was tapped in by Paulo Otavio.
Tarek Salman then hit the woodwork for the hosts in a frantic finish which saw referee Kim Jong-hyeok turn down a pair of late Al-Hilal penalty claims after consulting the pitch-side monitor.
The draw, however, was enough to secure Al-Hilal's passage to the next round while Al-Sadd also remain on track for the next phase despite dropping to fifth with nine points.
Al-Wasl climbed above the Qataris and into fourth with their win over Al-Shorta, which came after Jonatas Santos had put the UAE club ahead in Karbala in the 14th minute.
Fahd Yousef equalised for Al-Shorta five minutes into the second half but goals from Fabio Lima and Nicolas Gimenez in the 64th and 92nd minutes respectively sealed the win for the visitors. — REUTERS