Al Hilal snatched a tough victory from their hosts Al Gharafa with a score of 2-1 in the match that brought the two sides together in the Elite AFC Champions League, allowing the Saudi team to continue asserting its continental presence with stability and confidence.

Al Hilal took the lead early through their captain Salem Al-Dosari, who seized a perfect opportunity to put his team ahead in the ninth minute, giving the blues an advantage in control from the start of the match.

Al Gharafa sought to return to the game, but Al Hilal maintained their rhythm and balance, before Kaio Cesar added the second goal in the 66th minute with a precise shot that strengthened the visitors' lead and brought them closer to claiming the three points.

The hosts attempted to apply pressure in the final minutes, and Ayoub Al-Alawi succeeded in narrowing the gap during stoppage time in the 90+8th minute, reigniting hope for Al Gharafa, but time did not allow his team to equalize.

The match witnessed a remarkable presence from Portuguese full-back Joao Cancelo and Theo Hernandez, as they appeared confidently in Al Hilal's backline and contributed to limiting the danger of the Qatari team's attacks.

With this victory, Al Hilal strengthened their position at the top of the Elite League standings with 12 points, confirming their readiness to continue their Asian journey with great confidence, while Al Gharafa remained with 3 points, needing to correct mistakes to compensate for the loss in the upcoming rounds.