Marcos Leonardo netted twice to bring Simone Inzaghi’s team to a perfect 15 points from their first five matches in the 12-team western group phase and qualify for the last 16.

The Brazilian opened the scoring in first-half injury time with a powerful header past Hasan Ahmed, while Ahmed Yahia's 61st-minute dismissal for a second yellow card left Al Shorta facing an impossible challenge.

Goalkeeper Ahmed failed to hold onto Sergej Milinkovic-Savic's header as Al Hilal doubled their advantage two minutes later, Leonardo then headed in the third goal with 18 minutes remaining, and Joao Cancelo scored the fourth during added time.

The top eight teams from both the western and eastern league phases will progress to the Round of 16 in March, with the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final set to be held centrally in Saudi Arabia in April.

Dusan Tadic led Al Wahda to rally from a first-half deficit to beat Qatar’s Al-Sadd 3-1 in Abu Dhabi, securing the Emirati club’s place in the knockout rounds as well.

Brazilian forward Claudinho had put Al-Sadd, managed by Roberto Mancini, ahead via a penalty in the third minute of first-half stoppage time, but Tadic equalized 10 minutes into the second half.

The former Southampton midfielder showcased his skill with a curling shot into the top corner before scoring his team’s second with a powerful finish 11 minutes later.

Tadic then assisted with three minutes remaining, setting up Caio Canedo to score their third goal, sealing the victory and confirming Al Wahda’s qualification with 13 points from five games.

"When we don’t allow our opponents to take control, we perform much better, and that’s how Al Wahda should play," Tadic said. "That’s how we win matches.

"In the first half, I think we gave them too much space, which allowed them to play freely. In the second half, we denied them space and proved we are the stronger team."

Keep up with the Asian Champions League on Flashscore.