JEDDAH: Al-Shabab crushed Al-Hilal 3-0 in the semifinal first leg match of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup of Champions at King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh yesterday.
Abdu Utaif opened Shabab’s goal-spree with a strike in the 45th minute followed by Camacho in the 47th minute. Abdul Aziz Al-Saraan, the star of the match, then sealed victory with a goal in the 62nd minute.
Matters were made worse for Hilal when Yaser Al-Qahtani was red carded in the 85th minute for kicking an opposing player in the back and Radoi taken off the field for serious injury to the face.
Hilal’s star striker Al-Qahtani will miss the second leg match and Hilal needs nothing short of a miracle in the second leg match to go through to the final. With a three-goal lead going to the second leg match Shabab now has a 70 percent chance of advancing to the final for the second time in the competition.
At Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium in Jeddah, Al-Ittihad is similarly poised for the final with a 2-0 victory over Al-Hazem in the semifinal first leg match.
Busharwan drew first blood in the 13th minute of the match by slotting the ball home from long distance.
Naif Al-Hazzazi tallied the second goal in the 87th minute after he took possession of the ball following a defensive lapse by the goalkeeper.
Both second leg matches will be played May 10 in Riyadh and Al-Rass.
