Meanwhile in Pretoria, Sundowns wasted no time asserting themselves against MC Alger. Colombian forward Brian Leon Muniz opened the scoring in just the sixth minute, reacting quickest to a rebound from the Algerian goalkeeper to give the South African side an early breakthrough.
Knowing only a win would guarantee progression, Sundowns maintained control and doubled their lead in the 64th minute. Muniz again proved decisive, meeting a low cross inside the area and finishing clinically to complete his brace and effectively end MC Alger’s hopes.
The Algerian side, who began the day with seven points, pushed forward in search of a lifeline but were met by disciplined defending and tactical maturity from Sundowns. The final whistle confirmed their elimination, while the South African champions advanced with confidence.
The final standings see Al-Hilal top with 11 points, Sundowns second on nine, MC Alger third with seven, and Lupopo bottom on five.
Hilal progress as group winners and will face one of the runners-up from the other sections, while Sundowns must prepare for a potentially tougher draw against one of the competition’s group leaders.
Group C, finely balanced throughout the campaign, delivered drama to the end — and two worthy quarter-finalists.
