Intro:

Al-Ain beat Al-Ittihad 2-0 in the first leg of their Asian Champions League (ACL) quarter-final in the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday (19th August).

Al-Hilal claimed a 1-0 first leg lead over Al-Sadd in the Asian Champions League on Tuesday (19 August)

Script:

Al-Ain had never beaten Al Ittihad in the Asian Champions League.

The two sides met here in the UAE on Tuesday evening in the first leg of their quarter-final tie.

While Al-Ain had Asamoah Gyan, it was the Saudis who had the best chance of the first half, yet Mukhtar Fallath couldn't quite get on the end of the cross.

Al Ittihad would rue that miss. Within minutes of the restart Ismail Ahmed improvised shot put the home side ahead from a Kembo-Ekoko cross.

And with less than half an hour remaining Gyan doubled Al-Ain's lead with his 11th goal of the competition.

As the clock ran down Marquinho and then more glaringly Abdulrahman Al Ghamdi misss a chance to pull one back late on.

Al Ain hung on for a 2-0 win over Al Ittihad and will head to Saudi Arabia in confidence.

In the other evening's tie, Saudi side Al-Hilal were looking for a repeat of their group stage when they faced Qatar's Al-Sadd in the Asian Champions League quarterfinals first leg on Tuesday (19 August).

Hilal thrashed Sadd 5-0 earlier this season and knew that a win by that scoreline would all but eliminate Sadd from the competition.

Salem Al-Dawsari had the best chance of the first half.

Yet Sadd goalkeeper Saad Al-Sheeb just got enough on the save to push the ball wide of the post.

In the second half, the Qataris looked to be on mission revenge.

Nadir Belhadj, hit a ferocious strike which Hilal goalkeeper Abdullah Alsdairy brilliantly saved.

Yet a minute later the hosts were ahead, as Salman Al-Faraj beat Al-Sheeb at his near post.

That was to be the only goal of the game, but it gave Hilal a vital lead which they will take into the return leg in Doha.