Hernandez seals Al Hilal comeback against Al Duhail

WEB DESK: Al-Hilal kicked off their AFC Champions League Elite campaign in style on Tuesday night, overturning a first-half deficit to edge Qatar’s Al-Duhail 2-1 in Riyadh. It was a victory scripted by their high-profile summer signings, with Darwin Núñez and Theo Hernandez both finding the net to ignite the Saudi powerhouse’s continental push.

The visitors stunned the home crowd shortly before the interval. A blistering counterattack saw Youssouf Sabaly launch a long ball into space, where Algerian youngster Adil Boulbina raced clear, rounded Yassine Bounou, and calmly rolled the ball into the net. VAR drama denied Al-Hilal an immediate reply, chalking off Yusuf Akcicek’s neat finish for a handball in the buildup.

But the four-time Asian champions refused to wilt. Just shy of the hour mark, their patience paid off. A sweeping move carved through Al-Duhail’s defence, ending with Hamad Al-Yami cutting the ball back for Núñez, who coolly sidefooted home his first goal in Al-Hilal colours. The roar inside the King Fahd International Stadium told its own story.

The hosts smelled blood and pressed forward, even at the risk of leaving gaps behind. Their boldness was rewarded when Hernandez, marauding into space from the left, unleashed a strike from distance that clipped a defender and wrong-footed Zakaria in goal. The deflection sealed the comeback and underlined why the French fullback was one of the club’s marquee summer arrivals.

For Al-Hilal, this was more than just three points. It was a statement of intent, a reminder to Asia that the Riyadh giants, now boasting a star-studded squad, mean business in the new-look Champions League.