Al-Hilal surge into Asian Champions League semis by thrashing Gwangju

VIDEO SHOWS: HIGHLIGHTS OF AL-HILAL BEATING GWANGJU 7-0 TO WIN THEIR AFC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE ELITE QUARTER-FINALS PLAY-OFF MATCH

COMPLETE SHOTLIST AND SCRIPT TO FOLLOW

SHOWS: JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA (APRIL 25, 2025) (AFC - See restrictions before use)

1. VARIOUS OF PLAYERS AND OFFICIALS WALKING ONTO PITCH

FIRST HALF

2. GOAL! (6’) AL-HILAL WINGER, SALEM AL-DAWSARI (NUMBER 29), TAKES A CORNER, AND FINDS MIDFIELDER, SERGEJ MILINKOVIC-SAVIC (NUMBER 22), WHO HEADS IN THE GOAL. AL-HILAL LEAD 1-0

3. REPLAY OF GOAL

4. GOAL! (25’) AL-HILAL WINGER, MALCOM (NUMBER 77), SETS UP FORWARD, MARCOS LEONARDO (NUMBER 11), WHO FIRES ON TARGET TO PUT AL-HILAL UP 2-0

5. REPLAY OF GOAL

6. GOAL! (33’) LEONARDO PASSES TO AL-DAWSARI WHO BREAKS DOWNFIELD AND FIRES INTO THE NET PAST THE GOALKEEPER TO PUT AL-HILAL UP 3-0

SECOND HALF

7. GOAL! (55’) AL-HILAL FORWARD, ALEKSANDAR MITROVIC (NUMBER 9), PICKS UP A PASS IN THE BOX AND FIRES INTO THE GOAL. AL-HILAL LEAD 4-0

8. REPLAY OF GOAL

9. GOAL! (79’) MALCOM MAKES IT 5-0 FOR AL-HILAL

10. MALCOM

11. REPLAY OF GOAL

12. GOAL! (84’) AL-HILAL MIDFIELDER, NASSER AL-DAWSARI (NUMBER 16) IS ON TARGET TO PUT AL-HILAL UP 6-0

13. REPLAY OF GOAL

14. GOAL! (88’) AL-HILAL FORWARD, ABDULLAH AL-HAMDAN (NUMBER 99), PICKS UP A PASS FROM JUST OUTSIDE THE BOX AND FINDS THE BACK OF THE NET TO PUT AL-HILAL UP 7-0

15. REPLAY OF GOAL

16. FANS CELEBRATING IN STANDS AT FULLTIME

17. VARIOUS OF PLAYERS AT FULLTIME

18. AL-HILAL COACH, JORGE JESUS, AT FULLTIME

STORY: Al-Hilal powered into the semi-finals of the Asian Champions League Elite in Jeddah on Friday (April 25) as Jorge Jesus's Saudi Pro League side demolished South Korea's Gwangju 7-0 to move closer to a record-extending fifth continental title.

Goals from Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Marcos Leonardo and Salem Al-Dawsari inside the first 33 minutes sent the four-times champions on their way, with Aleksandar Mitrovic, Malcom, Nasser Al-Dawsari and Abdullah Al-Hamddan on target after the interval.

The result at a raucous King Abdullah Sports City Stadium means Al-Hilal will take on the winners of Saturday's (April 26) quarter-final between fellow Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli and Thailand's Buriram United.

Al-Hilal, continental champions in 1991, 2000, 2019 and 2021 and runners-up on five other occasions, were several levels above the K-League side, who are appearing in the competition for the first time.

Milinkovic-Savic gave the Saudi side the perfect start in the sixth minute, the midfielder peeling away from his marker to meet Salem Al-Dawsari's corner with a glancing header that beat Kim Kyeong-in for pace from the edge of the six-yard box.

Goalkeeper Yassine Bounou denied the Koreans the opportunity to strike back almost immediately when he blocked Jasir Asani's attempt after the Albanian winger had been played in behind the Al-Hilal defence.

Gwangju were to rue that miss in the 25th minute when Leonardo doubled Al-Hilal's lead, the Brazilian beating Kim low and at his near post when he met Malcom's cutback with a first-time strike.

Eight minutes later Salem Al-Dawsari effectively killed the game after racing on to Leonardo's ball from deep inside the Al-Hilal half, outpacing the Gwangju defence before calmly sliding his shot to Kim's right.

Mitrovic hit the fourth goal 10 minutes into the second half, making no mistake as he slotted in Milinkovic-Savic's bobbling cross from the right with a first-time finish.

Malcom beat Kim with 11 minutes remaining and substitute Nasser Al-Dawsari's deflected strike gave Al-Hilal their sixth goal five minutes later. Al-Hamddan's unstoppable right-foot shot in the 88th minute completed Gwangju's humiliation.

The latter stages of the revamped Asian Champions League Elite are being played on a centralised basis in Jeddah, with Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr due to face Yokohama F Marinos on Saturday.

Kawasaki Frontale from Japan take on Qatar's Al-Sadd on Sunday, with the semi-finals to be held on Tuesday and Wednesday. The final will be played on May 3.

(Production: Kurt Michael Hall)