Hilal Settle the Derby in the Asian Champions League
Tiarnan Lunney’s early goal and a second after the break gave Al-Hilal Saudi Football Club a 2-0 win over Al-Ittihad Club Jeddah on Wednesday.
Al-Hilal Saudi Football Club won the derby by making its early advantage last, then adding a second goal before Al-Ittihad Club Jeddah could turn possession into a serious threat. Tiarnan Lunney scored in the eighth minute and an unidentified team-mate struck in the 67th as Hilal claimed a 2-0 Asian Champions League victory on Wednesday.
The score gives the result a clarity the contest’s shot count did not. Both sides put three efforts on target, and Al-Ittihad had eight attempts to Hilal’s eight. But Hilal had two clear-cut chances; Al-Ittihad had none. The visitors’ 34 per cent possession and 279 completed passes from 314 reflected how much of the ball belonged to Hilal, whose 549 completed passes from 631 helped keep the game on its terms. Control was useful, but the two goals were decisive.
Lunney’s early strike put the home side in front before the derby had settled. His contribution did not end there: he also produced three key passes and four dribbles. Rogério José, stationed at left-back, supplied one key pass, while Christian Colombo made six interceptions. The small details mattered in a fixture where neither side lacked chances to make the afternoon more uncomfortable for the other.
Al-Ittihad’s goalkeeper made three saves, two of them parried, as Hilal won 11 corners. The visitors earned seven corners of their own and made three saves at the other end. Their best spell did not bring a goal. David Ochoa, who had made two key passes, went off injured in the 79th minute; Leandro Martínez was also replaced at that point. Martínez, who joined from Club Atlético Independiente in January, had made his fourth start for the club.
Al-Ittihad won 1-0 at home on 25 April last year; Hilal had won 2-1 there the week before. Wednesday’s result adds another clear turn in a rivalry that has not permitted either side to hold the upper hand for long.
Hilal’s advantage came from the timing of its goals and its ability to deny the visitors a clear-cut opening, not from a procession of attempts.