By Michael Church
(Reuters) – Talking points from the week in Asian football:
AL-HILAL EQUAL RECORD WITH 9-0 THRASHING OF AL-FATEH
Al-Hilal matched the biggest win in Saudi Pro League history on Wednesday with a 9-0 thrashing of bottom side Al-Fateh to maintain top spot ahead of Al-Ittihad.
Marcos Leonardo scored a hat-trick with Kalidou Kalibouly, Renan Lodi, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Abdullahl Al-Hamdan and Malcom all on target before an own goal from Faisal Al-Abdulwahed completed the scoring deep into added time.
The win equalled the record score set by Al-Hilal last season against Al-Hazem.
Al-Ittihad kept pace with their Riyadh-based rivals as Karim Banzema and Steven Bergwijn scored in a 4-1 win over Al-Raed.
ADELAIDE UNITED BEAT MELBOURNE VICTORY TO GO TOP
Adelaide United moved into top spot in Australia with a 3-2 win over Melbourne Victory to take full advantage of Melbourne City’s 3-0 defeat by Auckland FC.
City led the table ahead of the latest round of fixtures but were humbled in New Zealand as first-half goals from Guillermo May, Nando Pijnaker and Max Mata earned the home side all three points.
Adelaide edged a five-goal thriller at Hindmarsh Stadium with Ethan Alagich netting 19 minutes from time to give them the win which took them one point clear at the top.
CHINA STRIKER WU RULED OUT OF KEY GAMES DUE TO KNEE SURGERY
China striker Wu Lei will miss the last two matches in Shanghai Port’s Asian Champions League Elite group phase campaign plus March’s World Cup qualifiers against Saudi Arabia and Australia after deciding to have surgery on his right knee.
Wu was the Chinese Super League’s leading scorer last season with 32 goals as Port successfully defended the title, but the 33-year-old will be sidelined for at least two months due to the procedure.
He will be ruled out of Port’s Asian Champions League Elite matches against Vissel Kobe on Feb. 11 and Yokohama F Marinos eight days later.
FORMER JAPAN COACH IKEDA TAKES OVER AT THAI WOMEN’S TEAM
Japanese coach Futoshi Ikeda has been appointed manager of Thailand’s women’s team.
The 54-year-old, who led Japan to the quarter-finals of the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in 2023, takes over as the long-term replacement for compatriot Miyo Okamoto.
(Reporting by Michael Church, Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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