Al Hilal‘s record breaking run of 34 consecutive wins came to a shuddering halt on Wednesday as the Saudi Pro League (SPL) leaders were beaten 4-2 by hosts Al Ain in the first leg of their Asian Champions League semifinal.
Soufiane Rahimi’s first half hat trick put the Hernan Crespo-coached side from the United Arab Emirates on the cusp of a spot in next month’s final as the Riyadh-based outfit’s run came to an end.
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Al Hilal’s loss, which was the first time they have failed to win in all competitions since a 1-1 SPL draw with Damak on Sept. 21, came after the game at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium had been delayed for 24 hours due to widespread flooding across the UAE.
Rahimi put his side in front with six minutes on the clock, stroking the ball into the bottom corner of Mohammed Al-Owais‘ goal after Yahia Nader‘s pass trundled through to the Morocco international inside the penalty area.
