Saudi giants Al Hilal take on Iran’s Sepahan in last 16 of ACL

Saudi Pro League leaders Al Hilal have been drawn against Iranian Pro League table-toppers Sepahan in the last 16 of the AFC Asian Champions League.

Al Hilal, the four-time continental champions, have set a blistering pace at the top of the SPL and went unbeaten in their Champions League group, winning five of their six games to qualify in first place.

Yesterday they were handed a trip to Iran as the AFC draw took place in Kuala Lumpur, with them scheduled to play the first leg away from home in early February. The venue for that tie remains unclear, however, given the fallout from Sepahan’s cancelled match against Hilal’s SPL rivals Al Ittihad back in October.

The match was called off after Al Ittihad refused to play in the stadium in Isfahan as a statue of the late Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps general Qassem Suleimani had been installed next to the pitch.

The AFC subsequently decided Sepahan had broken their rules regarding pictures and statues of a political nature and Ittihad were awarded a 3-0 win. The Iranian club was also fined $200,000 and banned from playing home matches in the 2023 Champions League at their stadium.

Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo and Al Nassr will have to navigate an all-SPL tie if they are to reach the quarter-finals of the competition. Nassr, who are seeking a maiden continental crown, will be considered strong favourites against Al Fayha, who they beat 3-1 in domestic action in October.

Al Fayha qualified from Group A behind UAE side Al Ain, who face a last-16 tie against FC Nasaf from Uzbekistan. The Boss, who won the competition in 2003 and were runners-up in 2005 and 2016, sit second in the Adnoc Pro League. The final tie in the West section pits Karim Benzema and Al Ittihad against Uzbekistan’s Navbahor.