Riyad Mahrez strike takes Al-Ahli into Asian Champions League quarters as Al-Hilal exit

Title holders Al-Ahli squeezed into the last eight of the Asian Champions League Elite on Monday when Riyad Mahrez's 117th minute free kick secured a 1-0 win over Qatar's Al-Duhail as four-times winners Al-Hilal exited on penalties against Al-Sadd.

Mahrez bent home a stunning free kick to defeat the spirited Qataris, who had seen goalkeeper Salah Zakaria save a penalty from Ivan Toney late in the first half of extra time at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium.

"It was a difficult game, I don't think we played very good," said Mahrez. "That's why we went to extra time.

"They're a good team, Al-Duhail, but at the end we made it on a free kick and we're happy to go through."

Al-Ahli struggled to find a way past an inspired Zakaria with Toney denied seven minutes into time added on at the end of the first period of extra time when the goalkeeper dived to his right to keep out the Englishman's spot-kick.

But Mahrez found a way beyond the Qatar international three minutes before the game was due to go to penalties with a vicious left-foot free kick from outside the penalty area that gave Zakaria little chance.

BENZEMA MISSES IN SHOOT-OUT AS AL-HILAL ELIMINATED

Al-Hilal, meanwhile, were knocked out at the end of an enthralling clash with Al-Sadd that ended in a 3-3 draw before Qataris prevailed 4-2 in a shoot-out as Roberto Mancini won his coaching battle with fellow Italian Simone Inzaghi.

Al-Sadd fought back to level three times during regulation time, the first coming after Sergey Milinkovic-Savic had put Al-Hilal in front in the 29th minute only for Claudinho's dinked finish over Yassine Bounou to equalise seven minutes later.

Salem Al-Dawsari restored Al-Hilal's lead 10 minutes into the second half but Rafa Mujica struck in the 58th minute and, while Marcos Leonardo hit the Saudi side's third in the 67th minute, Roberto Firmino made it 3-3 with 20 minutes left.

Firmino hit the post with the opening spot-kick in the shoot-out but Karim Benzema's wild miss saw the scores levelled before Saimon Bouabre hit the post with Al-Hilal's final penalty to set up Akram Afif to net the winner.

Al-Sadd will take on Vissel Kobe from Japan in the quarter-finals on Thursday with Al-Ahli meeting Malaysia's Johor Darul Ta'zim on Friday.

The last 16 matches involving teams from the western side of the draw are being played as one-off encounters in Jeddah after the scheduled two-legged clashes were postponed last month due to the conflict in the Middle East.

Iran's Tractor FC face Shabab Al-Ahli and Al-Ittihad play Al-Wahda in the remaining last 16 ties on Tuesday.

(Reporting by Michael Church, editing by Pritha Sarkar)