Greetings and a very warm welcome to everyone. We will bring to you live updates from the AFC Champions League elite quarter-final fixture between Al-Ahli and Buriram United, so stay tuned.
Al-Ahli Vs Buriram United, AFC Champions League Highlights: Catch the play-by-play updates from the quarter-final football tie between Al-Ahli Saudi and Buriram United at the at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, as it happened
Greetings and a very warm welcome to everyone. We will bring to you live updates from the AFC Champions League elite quarter-final fixture between Al-Ahli and Buriram United, so stay tuned.
Here's how the two teams line up ahead of kick-off in Jeddah:
The match will begin at 10pm India time. The last-eight AFC Champions League encounter between Al-Ahli and Buriram United will be live streamed on the FanCode app and website in India. The game will also be broadcast on the Sports18 network channels.
Buriram United defeated the likes of Korea Republic라이브 바카라 Ulsan HD and Pohang FC in the league stage and then Johor Darul Ta'zim of Malaysia in the round of 16, to make the quarter-finals cut. As for Al-Ahli, their run has been marked by dominant performances, with a 5-1 aggregate victory over Qatari team Al Rayyan in the pre-quarter-finals.
Al-Ahli make the perfect start to the match. After earning a corner in the very first minute, the Saudi team continues to exert pressure and it results in a fluid move down the right flank, and Riyad Mahrez takes charge before slotting it home from his right foot in the fourth minute.
Galeno joins the party. Less than two minutes after Mahrez's strike, the Brazilian winger latches on to his compatriot Roger Ibanez's assist to find the back of the Buriram net and put Al-Ahli 2-0 up. This could well become a long night for the Thai side, unless they bounce back soon.
Buriram create a chance soon after the second Al-Ahli goal, getting a penalty on-field. But the decision goes up for a VAR check and is overturned subsequently, much to the dismay of the visitors. Nevertheless, the Thai team has settled a bit defensively now after the early setbacks.
The relentless Al-Ahli pump in a third goal in the 30th minute. After a brief quiet period, the Saudi team create another opening as Turkish defender Merih Demiral sets it up for captain Roberto Firmino, who makes no mistake. Buriram are rattled and need to score at the earliest, to find a way back.
Al-Ahli have made the first half entirely their own, going into the mid-game interval with a three-goal advantage. The Saudi team are the only unbeaten team in the competition now and look set to continue that streak, unless Buriram come up with something dramatic in the second half.
The task is cut out for Buriram United. The Thai League 1 leaders need an early goal in the second half if they are to revive hopes of taking the fight to Al-Ahli. As for the Saudi side, they don't need to do anything fancy from here; common-sense defending could be enough to seal a semi-final berth.
Buriram United have brought in Lucas Crispim for fellow midfielder Ratthanakorn Maikami and Goran Causic for another midfielder Seksan Ratree. Meanwhile, Al-Ahli too make a couple of changes. Matteo Dams is in for Ezgjan Alioski and Gabri Veiga for skipper Roberto Firmino.
The second half finishes in a relatively uneventful manner with no goals, as Al-Ahli were content with a three-goal cushion. The match ends in their favour as expected, and the Thai outfit Buriram United bows out. Al-Ahli Saudi are through to the semi-finals of the Asian competition.