Riyad Mahrez and Roberto Firmino helped fire Al Ahli into an all-Saudi Arabian AFC Champions League Elite semi-final after the Jeddah club beat Thailand’s Buriram United 3-0 on Saturday. Effectively playing as hosts since the quarter-finals to final are staged in Jeddah, Al Ahli needed only four minutes to take the lead at King Abdullah Sports City. Captain Firmino slid the ball through to Mahrez, who rifled his right-footed shot past Neil Etheridge in the Buriram goal.

It took the Algerian, a treble winner with Manchester City, to nine goals in this season’s competition, making him the joint-top scorer alongside Al Hilal’s Salem Al-Dawsari and Gwangju’s Jasir Asani. Mahrez also leads the assist charts, with seven.

Within two minutes, Al Ahli had another. This time, defender Roger Ibanez’s expert pass sent fellow Brazilian Galeno through and the winter-signing from Porto fired through Etheridge’s legs to double the hosts’ advantage.

On 16 minutes, Firmino missed a golden opportunity to make it 3-0, the former Liverpool forward somehow glancing wide with the goal at his mercy. 

Firmino, a UEFA Champions League winner during his time at Anfield, does not play for Al Ahli in the Saudi Pro League having been replaced in their domestic league squad by Galeno.

On the half hour, Firmino atoned for his earlier miss, tapping home Medih Demiral’s flick from a Mahrez corner.

Al Ahli seemed to ease off in the second half, although Demiral and Ivan Toney did have efforts at goal, while Mahrez fired off target in injury time.

Matthias Jaissle’s side will now meet Al Hilal, another Saudi club, in the semi-finals on Tuesday. Al-Hilal, the record four-time Asian champions, booked their spot in the last four on Friday with a thumping 7-0 win over South Korea’s Gwangju.

Later on Saturday, Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr have the chance to make it three Saudi clubs in the semi-finals, when they take on last year’s runners-up Yokohama F-Marinos of Japan at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City.

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