Watkins double fires Al-Hilal past Shabab Al-Ahli in Asian Champions League
Ollie Watkins scored twice as Al-Hilal beat Shabab Al-Ahli Dubai 2-0 to reclaim second place in their AFC Champions League Elite West group.
Key Takeaways
AIAl-Hilal reclaimed second place in the AFC Champions League Elite West group after defeating Shabab Al-Ahli Dubai of the UAE 2-0 on Tuesday at Kingdom Arena in the fourth round of the group stage, thanks to a brace from English striker Ollie Watkins.
The win lifted Al-Hilal to 9 points, placing them second in the group, three points behind leaders Al-Ain, who have 12. Shabab Al-Ahli remain on 9 points but drop to fourth after suffering their first defeat of this tournament edition.
Watkins was the star of the match, scoring both goals for Al-Hilal. He opened the scoring in the sixth minute, capitalizing on a pass from Senegalese defender Kalidou Koulibaly to slot the ball home.
Early in the second half, the English forward doubled the lead, netting his second in the 46th minute after a pass from Turkish defender Yusuf Akcicek, sealing a comfortable win for Al-Hilal.
The victory marked a return to winning ways for Al-Hilal in the Asian competition after losing 3-1 to Al-Shamal of Qatar in the previous round, making up for that setback and bringing their tally to 9 points from four matches.