Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Al Ain: Last year's runners-up, Al Hilal SFC, were eliminated from the 2018 AFC Champions League group stage for the first time since 2006 after a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Al Ain thanks to a brace from Marcus Berg on Matchday Five of Group D.
The visitors got off to the perfect start, taking an early lead when Mohammed Al Burayk fired a curling free-kick from 25 yards out that nestled into the top corner of goalkeeper Khalid Eisa's net seven minutes into the game.
Despite the shaky start, Al Ain regrouped and started to threaten. Their first real sight of goal came in the 20th minutes when Omar Abdulrahman produced a brilliant pass to Marcus Berg right, but the Swede's attempt was cleared off the goal line by Al Burayk.
Al Hilal's defender Mohammed Jahfali was penalised after a reckless tackle on Abdulrahman inside the 18-yards-box, but Al Ain's number 10 failed to deliver from the spot as goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi was quick to make the save in the 24th minute.
Five minutes before the break, Abdulrahman was brought down in the box by defender Ali Al Bulayhi and Berg stepped up to take the penalty, successfully levelling the score.
Al Ain kept the pressure on their opponents and there was still time for them to be awarded a third penalty of the night before half-time when Rayan Yslam was fouled by Fahad Al Rashidi, and Berg was once again clinical to net his side's second in added time.