Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal have almost assured themselves of a spot in the AFC Champions League final after a comprehensive 4-0 win over Iran's Persepolis in the first leg of the semifinal bout between them.
At home, where it was all about putting yourself in the best spot possible to reach the final, Al Hilal's Syrian forward Omar Khribin rose to the occasion with a sensational hat-trick.
It was a brilliant night for the forward as his heroics ensured Al Hilal were not punished despite being down to 10-men for almost the entirety of the second-half.
Khribin gave his side the lead in the first half when rose highest at the back post to head home Mohammed Al Burayk’s deep cross from the right.
In the second half, Al Dawsari played in Khribin in behind the Iranian team's defence and he duly scored his sixth goal of the tournament to make it 3-0. The misery was compounded for Persepolis late on when Khribin notched his hat-trick with a fabulous low drive from 20 yards.
His sensational performance, which saw him finish with a passing accuracy of 90% and win 40% of his duels, helped Al Hilal put one foot in the finals.
It is no wonder that he is the Toyota Player of the Week.
