Qatar’s Al Gharafa gave Al Hilal a stern test before going down 2-1 to the Saudi Arabian giants in their opening Asian Champions League Elite match in Riyadh on Tuesday.
Al Hilal, bidding for a fifth Asian title, made the brighter start but the game was disrupted midway through the first half when both sides were reduced to 10 men.
Al Gharafa took the game to Al Hilal in the opening minutes as Yassine Bounou was forced to make saves to deny Adam Ounas and Jang Hyun-soo as the home side started with 18-year-old Kader Meite up front.
Al Hilal worked their way into the game with Gabriel Martinelli having a left foot effort from an acute angle saved by Ahmed Kone before Sergej Milinkovic-Savic nodded over unchallenged from a good position.
The game took a turn in the 32nd minute when Crysencio Summerville was shown the red card for shoving Abdulrahman Al Rasheedi off the field but in the heated exchange, Ismael Bennacer was also sent off for tugging at the Al Hilal forward’s hair.
Al Rasheedi was involved again when he tripped Saimon Bouabre in the box, gifting Al Hilal a late first half penalty which Ruben Never nervelessly slotted home in the third minute of added time.
Al Hilal continued to test Kone’s reflexes after the interval with Neves, Martinelli and Bouabre all having a go but the Al Gharafa custodian stood strong to keep the Qatari side in the game.
Maintaining sustained pressure, it was no surprise when the second goal arrived in the 72nd minute, Neves delivered a perfect cross to the back post for Milinkovic-Savic to power home from close range.
Al Gharafa struck in stoppage time through a spectacular Alaaeddin Hasan strike from outside the box but it was nothing more than a consolation with the final whistle blowing seconds after the restart.
A tough test awaits Al Hilal next as the Saudi Pro League side face another Qatari side in Al Sadd on October 13 while Al Gharafa will count on home advantage when they host Esteghlal FC of Iran a day earlier.
