Most experts believe that this is a match with a different level after what the two teams showed in the first leg. In their meeting two weeks earlier, Al Hilal destroyed Mumbai City with a score of 6-0 at King Fahd Stadium in Riyadh.
Mumbai City is a strong name in the Indian league but is not big enough to compete with other teams from the continent. After 3 matches in the AFC Champions League, they lost all the matches, did not even score a goal, conceding 11 goals.
Playing under strength, Al Hilal still won 3 points against Mumbai City.
Meanwhile, Al Hilal is a powerhouse of Saudi Arabia, possessing many top players in the squad. Despite having to welcome an Al Taawon team that is ranked 3rd in the Saudi Pro League, Al Hilal still plays with many good players such as Aleksandar Mitrovic, Malcom or Ruben Neves.
However, The home team upset all predictions. In the first 45 minutes, Mumbai City left Al Hilal’s strikers completely deadlocked. After the break, only when Mehtab Signh was sent off in the 54th minute did the away team open the score.
In the 62nd minute, Michael scored accurately to help Al Hilal take the lead. From his teammate’s cross on the left wing, Michael cut the ball and headed it, not giving the Mumbai City goalkeeper a chance to block it. In the 85th minute, Mitrovic ended all efforts of Mumbai City with the goal to score 2-0.
With this victory, Al Hilal won 10 points after 4 matches, leading Navbahor Namangan (Uzbekistan) to enter the knockout round.
Tieu Lam | 22:26 November 6, 2023
