Roberto Firmino and Ivan Toney belonged to the goals when Al-Ahli reached the AFC Champions League Elite final with an impressive 3-1 win over Saudi Pro League-Rivalen Al-Hilal.
The former Premier League attackers hit a strong first half display by Al-Ahli, who sealed the victory by Feras Al Brikan after their opponents Kalidou Koulibaly had sent away in the second half.
Only nine minutes stood on the clock when Al-Ahli went on, Firmino made a run to the nearby pole to apply a side foot finish to Galeno's left cross.
Another excellent goal saw them double their benefit in the 27th minute, with Toney on a smart through ballet from Riyad Mahrez to make Yassine Bounou for a simple finish round.
Al-Hilal was under the pind during the first half, but came back to the break, Salem Al Dawsari used the ball that broke his way to hit Edouard Mendy.
But that strike was unable to breathe new life into the ruling Saudi champions, and they were really against it when Koulibaly was sent away just before the hour, after picking up a second yellow card for an awkward error on Roger Ibanez.
Al-Ahli could have ended the draw when Hamad Al Yami Mahrez polluted for an 82nd minute penalty, but Bounou jumped to the right of Palm Franck Kessie's bad stairs.
The Matthias Jaissle team got their clinch goal seven minutes in the stop time, but Al Brikan struck their last collision with Al-Nassr or Kawasaki.
Full Timeal-Ahli: Al-Hilal
We are in the final! #الأatch_itivedyالorth #aclite pic.twitter.com/2ycbhxhlsb
-Ali Saudi Club (@alahli_fcen) April 29, 2025
Data Debrief: Mahrez Matches Record
With Al-Ahli 1-0 up, Mahrez demonstrably offered the moment of the game and pushed a beautiful ball in the path of Toney, which applied a composed finish.
Mahrez has now contributed for the first time to a goal in six consecutive AFC Champions League -Elite matches, which improved a series of five games with a target involvement between September and November last year.
His 17 goals and assists combined in the competition of this season (nine goals, eight assists) are a joint record, in which Muriqui previously reached that count for Guangzhou in 2013 (13 goals, four assists)-since the collection of data began in 2013.
Al-Hilal had reached the final on five previous occasions, from eight points to the last four. But they were denied when Al-Ahli reached the showpiece competition for the second time, after ending second in Ulsan Hyundai in 2013.