As four-time AFC Champions League winners, Al Hilal is always expected to be there at the end of every edition of Asian football's premier club competition.
But as the 2023-24 campaign progressed beyond the quarter-finals this week, they look increasingly unstoppable in their quest for a fifth continental crown.
With a 2-0 win over Saudi Pro League giants Al Ittihad on Tuesday, Al Hilal completed a 4-0 aggregate victory to book their place in the last four.
It was an unexpectedly convincing margin of victory given that Al Ittihad are far from being left behind, with a line-up in both legs that included famous names such as Fabinho and N'Golo Kanté, even if star striker Karim Benzema remains absent in action.
Al Hilal not only kept alive their hopes of regaining the ACL title they last won in 2021, but also set a new world record of 28 consecutive wins in all competitions with the winning streak dating back to last September.
Surprisingly, much of this run has been achieved without the signing of Neymar, who has been sidelined since November with a serious knee injury while playing for Brazil.
In his absence, former Premier League player Aleksandar Mitrovic has led the way with 29 goals in 28 appearances in the league and continental competitions, while other key players such as Kalidou Koulibaly, Rúben Neves and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic have also been influential .
Further fueling expectations that this year's title will go to Al Hilal is the fact that the team that was emerging as their biggest rival suffered a shock elimination in the quarter-finals.
Despite having players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mané, Al Nassr would fall to Al Ain on penalties after a 4-4 aggregate draw, after a regrettable performance from the point in which the first would be the only one of the four eliminated . his team to convert in a 3-1 defeat on penalties.
Al Ain, Asian champions in 2003, will be far from easy opponents, but there is a feeling that they have already exceeded expectations in the current campaign, considering it is the first time they have managed to get out of the group stage even since 2018 .
It means that Al Hilal will be the favorites come the semi-finals, which start on April 16, and if they advance to the decider, they are also likely to be the top team regardless of which of the two remaining East Asian zones. The contenders are lurking.
Ulsan HD were the first from their side of the draw to book their place in the last four, prevailing over Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 2-1 on aggregate in an all-South Korean match to keep their hopes of a third ACL title alive, and first since 2020.
Ulsan will now face Yokohama F. Marinos after the Japanese representatives defeated Shandong Taishan 3-1 on aggregate, with Anderson Lopes emerging as a key figure with a double in both legs.
The Marinos will also not lack motivation to go all the way given that, for all their domestic success as seven-time J1 League champions, they are yet to taste continental glory, even seeing six of their compatriots go all the way .
In recent times, the East Asia Zone has dominated the competition, with nine of the last 11 champions.
The only team from the West Asia area to emerge triumphant at that time? Al-Hilal.
And with many expecting the West Asia Zone to dominate in the coming years, especially after the recent rise of the Saudi Pro League, it may be Al Hilal that gets this season going, especially considering they seem unstoppable in their march. . to glory.
