Mahrez strikes for Al Ahli to make AFC Champions League Elite quarterfinals

Title holders Al Ahli squeezed into the last ​eight of the AFC 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," Mahrez said. "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 added time 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.

However, 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 for Al Hilal

Al Hilal, meanwhile, ​was knocked out at the end of an enthralling clash with Al Sadd that ended in a 3-3 draw before the 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.