Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal SFC qualified for the AFC Champions League quarter-finals after overcoming Shabab Al Ahli Dubai 3-1 in the last Round-of-16 encounter at Al Janoub Stadium on Monday.
Al Hilal join compatriots Al Shabab, Qatar's Al Duhail and Islamic Republic of Iran's Foolad in the next round, with a place opposite Japan's Urawa Red Diamonds in the two-legged final up for grabs, the AFC website reported.
The two sides lined around the centre circle for a minute's silence to pay their respect for victims of the devastating earthquakes that hit Syria and Turkiye in recent weeks.
Once the game got underway, it was Al Hilal who started on the offensive, with Luciano Vietto threatening Majed Nasser with a side-footed effort from the edge of the box, but the veteran confidently collected the ball.
Yahya Al Ghassani found himself in acres of space to aim for goal after Federico Cartabia dummied to allow a cross from the right to pass through to his teammate but the young Emirati international blasted his shot high from close range.
The first goal of the evening came at the other end in the 17th minute when Moussa Marega fed Odion Ighalo just outside Shabab Al Ahli's box and the Nigerian forward showed his exceptional mix of skill and finishing ability by beating his marker and burying it into the bottom corner for Al Hilal's first.
Uzbek midfielder Azizjon Ganiev stepped up to take a free-kick 30 yards out, hoping to get his third goal of the campaign, but despite whipping it expertly past the wall, his shot missed the Al Hilal target by mere inches with 10 minutes left to the break.
Captain Majed Nasser and company thought they were going into the dressing rooms level as Ganiev sent an inviting cross into the box in the last minute of the half and Al Ghassani met it with a diving header at the far post, but Al Mayouf was once more alert to the threat and produced an important save to keep his side ahead at the interval.
Five minutes after the restart Nasser had to rescue his team after midfielder Mohammed Kanno improvised spectacularly to flick Vietto's in-swinging cross from the corner towards goal, but the veteran Emirati custodian denied him what would have been a wonder goal.
Top scorer of the 2017 edition in Al Hilal colours, Syrian forward Omar Khribin nearly punished his former club as he powered a free-kick from 20 yards out on the side of the wall, forcing an extraordinary diving save from Al Mayouf in the 68th minute as the game picked up pace.
The Al Hilal faithful erupted with joy in the 72nd minute. Korea Republic defender Jang Hyun-soo doubled their lead as after his initial header from Vietto's delivery was parried by a combination of Nasser and the crossbar before Jang followed through with a diving header into the empty net to make it 2-0.
Two minutes later, there was another reason for celebration for the Saudi supporters as Al Hilal and the national team captain Salman Al Faraj made his long-awaited return, coming on for Ighalo, having been sidelined since suffering an injury in Saudi Arabia's famous 2-1 victory against Argentina at the FIFA Club World Cup Qatar 2022 back in November.
Shabab Al Ahli's woes were compounded as Marega delivered a cross from the right which was met by an exquisite backheeled flick from Al Dawsari into the path of Vietto whose touch sent it into the net to make it 3-0.
Four minutes from time, Khribin got his goal, dispossessing Al Faraj and aiming towards the bottom corner with a venomous drive from outside the box to reduce the deficit, but his goal proved merely consolation even as he struck the woodwork later in added time, with Al Hilal reaching the quarter-finals for the fourth time in the last six years.