Three penalties were conceded to give Riyadh Crescent a 2-4 away defeat to Al Ain in the first leg of the AFC Champions League semi-finals, ending a 34-game winning streak in all competitions!
On April 11, Riyadh Crescent won the Saudi Super Cup after beating Jeddah United, extending their winning streak to 34 games and qualifying for the AFC Champions League semi-finals.
However, the trend of the game was unexpected. Just six minutes into the opening game, Rahimi burst into the penalty area and scored with a low right-footed shot to make it 1-0! In the 26th minute, Rahimi burst into the penalty area and was tripped by the attacking Owais, the referee awarded a penalty, and Rahimi scored a penalty, 2-0!
In the 38th minute, Blaich tackled the opponent in the penalty area, and the referee awarded a penalty for the second time, Rahimi scored a penalty kick to complete the hat trick and expand the score to 3-0!
In the 49th minute, Malcolm scored in the middle of the small penalty area, 3-1!In the 55th minute, Rahimi was tripped by Koulibaly after bursting into the penalty area, and the referee awarded a penalty again, Romero scored a penalty, 4-1!
In the 78th minute, Michael's powerful shot was blocked by the goalkeeper, and Al-Dosari picked the ball past and swept home. The video assistant referee intervened to make a penalty, and finally confirmed that the goal was not a foul, 4-2!
The 34-game winning streak in all competitions ended after the defeat to Al Ain, the first time Riyadh Crescent has failed to win since September 21, 2023. Meanwhile, Riyadh Crescent's 44-match unbeaten run in all competitions was ended for the first time since May 23, 2023.
Thirdly, Riyadh's Crescent AFC Champions League winning streak of nine consecutive wins was ended, the first time since September 18, 2023, that it failed to win in the AFC Champions League. Fourthly, Riyadh's 10-match unbeaten run in the AFC Champions League was ended for the first time since May 6, 2023, when they lost to Urawa Red Diamonds in the final.
It is worth emphasizing that Riyadh Crescent's record of 34 consecutive wins has broken the record for the longest winning streak in world football, following the 27-game winning streak in 2016 by the New Saints. At the same time, Riyadh Crescent, which returned to its home stadium in the second leg, still has a chance to reverse the promotion!