Bayed on by frenzied home support in Jeddah, Al Ahli Saudi fought back to maintain their dream of back-to-back AFC Champions League Elite titles.
The holders eventually overcame Johor Darul Ta'zim, the Malaysian champions, 2-1 in front of a crowd of over 40,000 at King Abdullah Sports City on Friday night.
To say they did it the hard way understates the point. First, they trailed. Then they were a player down before half time after a horror head injury inflicted on a Johor player. Then, ultimately, they fought back to book a semi-final against Japan’s Vissel Kobe.
Ali Majrashi, their all-action right-back, was the main culprit for their early malaise, as he put through his own net and then saw red.
Johor led after 19 minutes when Jairo, their Brazilian striker, easily bumped countryman Roger Ibanez off the ball and crossed for Marcos Guilherme in the middle of the goal.
Majrashi dived in vainly to stop Guilherme, but only succeeded in turning the ball into his own goal.
Ibanez received treatment for a back complaint straight after. But his challenge had been soft, and it appeared as though the delay was largely to see if VAR would consider a review.
To add serious injury to insult, in the 38th minute, Majrashi accidentally kicked Jairo in the face with full force while trying to overhead kick a clearance.
Johor’s players met the incident with fury. Not so much Majrashi’s kick; they must have appreciated it was reckless rather than malevolent. Majrashi was sent-off while he was himself prone on the floor.
More so, their rage was directed at what they perceived to be tardy medical care. Jairo was knocked out cold by the full force of Majrashi’s high boot.
Players and staff frantically motioned at the medics to come and help. Natxo Insa, Johor’s captain, first ripped the flag out of the assistant referee’s hand to try to gain some attention.
Insa then ran full tilt at the nearest medics, booted a chair over, and carried the stretcher on to the field himself.
He and Jonathan Silva were booked for their reactions as the referee tried to restore calm. The severity of the incident even quietened the Ahli supporters.
Not for long, though. Realising they were now down a player as well as a goal, the fans doubled their efforts.
As has become customary in the season and a half that this new finals event has been played in Jeddah, the Ahli supporters were extraordinary.
The match kicked off three minutes late as the Ahli players stood to observe the team’s anthem from their fans behind the goal.
Shortly after the start, when the ball went out near the Ahli bench, Matthias Jaissle, the manager, had to go and get a new one. The ballboy whose job it was totally transfixed by Al Ahli’s fans behind the goal.
Jaissle empathised with the kid, affectionately patting him on the head rather than admonishing him. Ahli’s fans can have that effect.
Their ultras had ordered than 3,500 fans directly behind the goal at the northern end of the ground had to wear green shirts – even though the team were playing in the away white shirt with green trim and sash – or else no entry. Scarves were also part of the designated uniform, even though it was 30 degrees at kickoff.
When their team needed them, the volume rose. The home players responded in kind to the roars. Despite the numerical disadvantage after Majrashi’s red card, they equalised when Franck Kessie powered in a header in stoppage time at the end of the half.
After the break, Galeno gave Ahli the lead when he drilled a shot in a fine shot from distance.
They held on to their lead, but required two fine saves from Edouard Mendy, one deep into stoppage time, to finally close out the win.
