Asian Champions League Semi-Final: How Galeno and Toney Inspired Stunning Al-Ahli Comeback in Jeddah

By Akins Wandex 

Defending champions Al-Ahli Saudi FC produced a stirring second-half comeback at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium on Monday, overturning a first-half deficit to defeat Japan’s Vissel Kobe 2-1 and book their place in Saturday’s final of the AFC Champions League Elite .

Yoshinori Muto’s 31st-minute opener had given the J1 League champions a deserved lead at the break, but the Saudi Pro League side emerged from the interval transformed. Brazilian winger Galeno levelled the contest with a spectacular long-range strike in the 62nd minute, before English striker Ivan Toney completed the turnaround eight minutes later, firing home from a tight angle to send the hosts into their second consecutive continental final .

The victory keeps Matthias Jaissle’s side on track to become the first team since Saudi rivals Al-Ittihad in 2005 to retain the Asian crown .

 First Half: Muto Strike Punishes Sloppy Ahli Defence

In front of 44,716 spectators at the Alinma Bank Stadium, the atmosphere was electric from the first whistle. However, it was Vissel Kobe who settled the quicker. The Japanese side’s aggressive 4-2-4 pressing system troubled Ahli throughout the opening period, with the hosts struggling to build out from the back with any consistency .

Ahli’s first genuine opening arrived in the 27th minute, sparked by a marauding run from left-back Zakaria Hawsawi. His determined surge down the flank ended with Franck Kessie forcing a save from goalkeeper Daiya Maekawa, who also dealt with Riyad Mahrez’s follow-up effort .

The respite proved brief. In the 31st minute, Vissel Kobe carved open the Ahli defence from a set-piece. Katsuya Nagato’s free-kick from midway inside the Al-Ahli half found an unmarked Yuya Osako, who headed the ball across the penalty area to Muto. The former Japan international made no mistake, sliding his finish past former Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy to give the J-League outfit a deserved lead .

Al-Ahli came agonizingly close to an equaliser in first-half stoppage time. Galeno’s free-kick from the right found Rayan Hamed at the far post, but the right-back’s header crashed against the upright. Moments later, Toney attempted an improvised flick from Enzo Millot’s cross that drifted narrowly wide, leaving the defending champions trailing at the interval .

Second Half: Galeno Magic and Toney’s Decisive Blow

Whatever Jaissle said in the dressing room produced an immediate transformation. Al-Ahli resumed with intensity and purpose, pinning Vissel Kobe deep inside their own half.

Within seconds of the restart, Roger Ibanez – inexplicably unmarked at a set-piece – headed a gilt-edged chance across the face of goal and wide. Five minutes later, Toney thought he had equalised, powering through the middle and finishing past Maekawa, only for the linesman’s flag to cut short his celebrations for offside .

Against the run of play, Vissel Kobe nearly doubled their advantage. A mistake from Kessie on the edge of the Ahli box allowed substitute Mitsuki Hidaka to find Daiju Sasaki unmarked inside the area. With the goal beckoning, the winger crashed his shot against the crossbar – a miss that would prove pivotal .

The let-off galvanised Al-Ahli. In the 62nd minute, Galeno produced a moment of individual brilliance reminiscent of his quarter-final winner against Johor Darul Ta’zim. Picking up possession 25 yards from goal, the Brazilian unleashed a thunderous, dipping strike that arrowed into the top corner, leaving Maekawa with no chance .

“He has that special quality,” Jaissle said of his match-winner after the match. “In the big moments, he steps forward.”

The momentum had shifted decisively. Eight minutes later, Al-Ahli were in front. Galeno turned provider, delivering a looping cross from the left flank. Maekawa, under pressure, flapped at the ball, and Toney reacted quickest. From an acute angle, the Englishman side-footed his finish through a crowd of three Kobe defenders on the line and into the net .

“We’re really proud again to be in the final, back-to-back is something special and a huge honour and privilege,” Jaissle told reporters after the match. “The game was not easy, as always in this stage, in a semi-final in this competition. Details decided the game” .

Al-Ahli thought they had added a third in the 75th minute when Mahrez swept home from close range, but a VAR review correctly ruled the former Manchester City star offside. The decision mattered little, as Jaissle’s side managed the closing stages with composure to seal their place in Saturday’s showpiece .

 Jaissle Hails ‘Special’ Comeback as Skibbe Rues Missed Chances

Vissel Kobe manager Michael Skibbe, whose side have won the J1 League in both 2023 and 2024, was left to reflect on what might have been after his team’s failure to convert second-half opportunities proved decisive.

“For 60 minutes we controlled the game,” Skibbe said in his post-match press conference. “We had the chance to make it 2-0 and that would have changed everything. Against a team like Al-Ahli, with the quality they have in attack, you cannot afford to miss those chances.”

Jaissle, whose side have now won seven consecutive matches in all competitions, praised his team’s resilience. “It was not easy tonight,” the German coach said. “Vissel Kobe are a very good side, tactically disciplined. But the boys showed character. We stayed calm, we believed in the process, and in the end, quality decided the game.

Al-Ahli will now face either Japan’s FC Machida Zelvia or the UAE’s Shabab Al-Ahli in Saturday’s final, with that pair due to meet in the second semi-final on Tuesday at the Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City Stadium .

For the defending champions, the objective is clear: become the first team since Al-Ittihad in 2005 to retain the continental title. Standing in their way will be a side appearing in their first Asian final, ensuring that history will be made regardless of the outcome .

“We’re not finished,” Jaissle added. “We came here to win. One more game, one more performance, and we can make history.”

Saturday’s final will kick off at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, with Al-Ahli seeking to become the first Saudi side to successfully defend the Asian Champions League title in the modern era .