DOHA: A 1-1 draw with Al-Sadd in Qatar on Tuesday was enough for Al-Hilal to book their place in the knockout stage of the AFC Champions League Elite with three group games to spare.
The three Saudi teams in the competition maintain their stranglehold on the 12-team Group B after the fifth round of games, with Al-Ahli topping the group on a maximum 15 points, two ahead of Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr. All three have already qualified for the last 16.
During a highly competitive encounter in Qatar, the result of which might have gone either way, Al-Sadd asked some tough questions of the visitors early on, perhaps aware of how Al-Khaleej came back from two goals down to defeat Al-Hilal 3-2 in the Saudi Pro League on Saturday.
However, it was the men from Riyadh who opened the scoring in the 10th minute. Mohammed Kanno rose high at the near post to meet a Salem Al-Dawsari corner and flick it on to defender Ali Al-Bulaihi, who was waiting to slide the ball home from close range with the kind of goal-scoring instincts teammate Aleksandar Mitrovic would surely have been proud of.
Five minutes later, the Serbian striker himself had a great chance but headed over with the goal at his mercy. Marcos Leonardo came closer just before the break with a low shot from outside the box that goalkeeper Meshaal Barsham did well to get a hand to.
It was not all one-way traffic, however. Al-Sadd, winners of the Champions League in 2011, had a couple of good efforts in the first half, with Youcef Atal and Mohammed Camara asking the questions.
Early in the second half, Akram Afif — recently crowned the successor to Al-Dawsari as AFC Player of the Year — shot just wide from outside the box as he tried to get more into the game.
The tie was almost put beyond the home side on the hour mark but Mitrovic shot just wide from close range after Nasser Al-Dawsari whipped in a fierce cross from the left.
Al-Sadd, however, started to pile on the pressure and were rewarded with the equalizer in the 71st minute. Afif curled a low cross around the defense from the left and Paulo Otavio got to the ball just ahead of goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.
Al-Sadd continued to press forward and looked the likelier of the two teams to score, with Tarek Salman heading against the crossbar with Bounou beaten.
There was still time, though for the video assistant referee to consider, and reject, three Al-Hilal shouts for penalties, the last of which came in the 15th minute of added time. Ultimately, though, the spoils were shared and that was enough for Al-Hilal on the night.

NEWCASTLE, United Kingdom: West Ham produced a clinical away performance to beat resurgent Newcastle 2-0 on Monday, easing the pressure on beleaguered manager Julen Lopetegui.
Tomas Soucek headed the visitors in front against the run of play at St. James’ Park and Aaron Wan-Bissaka grabbed a rare goal in the second half to double the Hammers’ lead.
Newcastle were unable to capitalize on the chances they created, failing to build on the momentum created by recent wins against Arsenal and Nottingham Forest.
The result, only West Ham’s second win on the road this season, lifts them to 15 points, just three behind 10th-placed Newcastle.
The home side made the early running and in-form forward Alexander Isak had the ball in the net in the fifth minute after a delicate dink over Lukasz Fabianski, only for it to be ruled out for offside.
West Ham, expected to face a tough test on Newcastle’s home turf, showed little adventure in the opening stages.
But their first real foray up the pitch resulted in a corner and the unmarked Soucek powered home a header from close range in the 10th minute.
Newcastle enjoyed the bulk of the possession as a lively first half unfolded but West Ham were robust in defense and threatened when they went forward.
Anthony Gordon had a glorious chance to level after a poor clearance from Jean-Clair Todibo but fired straight at Fabianski.
Minutes later Isak chested down a superb cross from Bruno Guimaraes but steered narrowly wide on the stretch.
Eddie Howe’s Newcastle were again on the front foot at the start of the second half but it was West Ham who doubled their lead through Wan-Bissaka.
The former Manchester United man scored his first goal for West Ham and just his third career goal after picking up Jarrod Bowen’s pass and firing home.
Howe brought on Jacob Murphy and Callum Wilson in a bid to turn the tide but Newcastle failed to build up a head of steam against their determined opponents, who saw out the game with relative ease.
The result will be a huge relief for Lopetegui, whose future has been a matter of mounting speculation just months after he replaced David Moyes.