Al Hilal booked their place in the AFC Champions League final as Omar Kharbin scored twice in a 2-2 draw away to Persepolis that secured a 6-2 aggregate triumph.
After bagging a hat-trick in the first leg of the semi-final, Kharbin proved the scourge of Persepolis once again, his brace ruining the home side's unlikely comeback attempts as they looked to overturn a 4-0 loss in the previous meeting.
FULL-TIME | are through to the Final after defeating 6-2 on aggregate! October 17, 2017
The Nigerian forward broke the deadlock with a well-directed header in the 16th minute, nodding home Vahid Amiri's cross from the right wing to give Persepolis a glimmer of hope.
However, after Salman Al Faraj was fouled inside the area, Kharbin drew Al Hilal level from the spot. The Syria international's cheeky Panenka penalty made it 1-1 after 30 minutes and restored his side's four-goal aggregate cushion.
While Mensha struck again after the break, angling a low, left-footed strike beyond goalkeeper Abdullah Al Muaiouf, the low-key celebrations showed Persepolis realised their impressive run in the tournament was coming to an end.
Kharbin even denied the home side victory on the day with a second equaliser in the 76th minute, swivelling inside the box to make it 2-2 with a left-footed drive.
Al-Hilal will now face either Urawa Red Diamonds or Shanghai SIPG in the final. Their tie is level at 1-1 after the first leg, with the return fixture taking place in Saitama on Wednesday.
Full-time statistics for @fcpersepolisir vs ! October 17, 2017
