Dubai: Newly-crowned UAE league champions Al Ahli were held to a 0-0 draw at home to Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal in their penultimate Asian Champions League group game at Rashid Stadium on Tuesday.
The result means The Red Knights must now win away to Qatar’s Al Sadd in their final group game on April 22 in order to confirm their progression to the second round.
Al Hilal had the better of the first half chances, the best of which, from Mohammad Al Shaloub, came back off the post before the interval.
Al Ahli fought back in the second half with Grafite also having an effort denied by the post, but neither side could break the deadlock.
Al Ahli now share top of Group D on seven points with Iran’s Sepahan, who beat Qatar’s Al Sadd 4-0 in the group’s other game on Tuesday.
Al Hilal are third on six points and Al Sadd are fourth on five points leaving everything still to play for in the final round of group fixtures.
Elsewhere, Al Ain qualified from Group C with a 5-0 win away to Qatar’s Al Lekhwiya in their penultimate Asian Champions League group game.
Asamoah Gyan supplied Ebrahim Diaky and Alex Brosque to go in at the interval with a two-goal cushion. The Ghanaian striker then added two of his own after Mohammad Abdul Rahman had made it three on the hour.
In the GCC Champions League, Al Nasr topped Group C and are through to the quarter-finals of the competition despite a 0-0 draw at home to Bahrain’s Al Busaiteen in their final group game on Tuesday.
Meanwhile Al Shabab finished runners-up in Group B qualifying for the quarter-finals with a 2-1 away win over Bahrain’s Al Muharraq after a Carlos Villanueva penalty and late Adeilson winner cancelled out Hussain Ali Ahmad’s first half opener from the spot.