"If we had scored fewer goals and João Cancelo hadn’t gotten injured, it would have been better."

Despite the 7-0 victory, Jorge Jesus, the Al Hilal manager, couldn't smile. He expressed deep regret over João Cancelo's injury despite the one-sided win against Guangzhou FC.

Al Hilal defeated Guangzhou 7-0 to advance to the semifinals in the quarterfinals of the AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE) held on the 26th (Korean time) at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

For Guangzhou, it was a match they could only accept as a complete defeat.

Just six minutes into the match, they conceded the first goal to Sergej Milinković-Savić, and by the 25th minute of the first half, they allowed another goal to Marcus Leonardo. Eight minutes later, Salem Al-Dosari shook the net once again. In the second half, they consecutively conceded goals to Aleksandar Mitrović, Malcolm, Nasser Al-Dosari, and Abdulla Al-Hamdan, ultimately lowering their heads.

Although Al Hilal achieved a big victory, Coach Jesus's joy didn't last long, as right-back João Cancelo was injured and had to leave the game.

After the match, Coach Jesus candidly expressed in the official press conference, "It would have been better if we had just scored one goal and João Cancelo hadn’t gotten injured." He added, "Cancelo is a very important player for our team. I don’t know how long he will be out. However, losing him for the next match is certainly a significant loss."

Regarding the match itself, he emphasized, "It’s not that the opponent was weak; we just played excellently and made it look easy." He added, "We haven’t achieved anything yet. We need to focus on recovering our condition for the next match."

He did not forget to show respect for Guangzhou. Coach Jesus emphasized, "Looking at today's result, the difference seems large, but Guangzhou is by no means a weak team. They are a strong team with a previous experience of defeating Yokohama 7-0."

In conclusion, Coach Jesus noted, "We are continuously paying the 'price of success.' We have always had to endure the pressure in a situation where winning is an obligation."

Despite achieving an overwhelming victory against Guangzhou, Coach Jesus's expression was by no means bright. This victory came at the painful cost of Cancelo's injury. Al Hilal now faces the daunting task of managing the remaining ACL schedule and the league amidst injury setbacks.

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