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Al Ahly

Al Ahly 3-1 Wydad Casablanca (5-1 agg): Record champions return to final

The eight-time champions took an early lead and never looked like missing out on a 13th appearance in the showpiece as they went on to seal a 5-1 aggregate triumph at Cairo International Stadium. 

Just as they did in the first leg, Al Ahly quickly opened the scoring when Marwan Mohsen tucked the ball past Ahmed Tagnaouti in the fifth minute and a VAR check showed the offside flag had been incorrectly raised. 

Hussein El Shahat doubled the Egyptian side's advantage when he turned Yahia Attiyat inside out, and Yasser Ibrahim's header before the hour mark effectively ended the tie as a contest. 

Substitute Zouheir El-Moutaraji's thunderous 20-yard drive pulled one back for Wydad in the 82nd minute but last year's runners-up were unable to secure a return to the final. 

Al Ahly have lost their previous two final appearances and will have to overcome domestic rivals Zamalek or Raja Casablanca if they are to win the Champions League for the first time since 2013. 

Benzema and Courtois to miss Real Madrid's Club World Cup semi-final

Captain Benzema sustained a leg injury in last week's 2-0 LaLiga win over Valencia and the striker subsequently missed Sunday's shock 1-0 loss at Real Mallorca.

Goalkeeper Courtois suffered a groin strain during the warm-up of that defeat to Mallorca, which leaves Madrid trailing leaders Barcelona by eight points.

Neither player travelled with the Madrid squad to Moroccan capital Rabat on Monday, while Eder Militao, Lucas Vazquez, Ferland Mendy and Eden Hazard were also absent.

Key men Benzema and Courtois still have a chance of being fit for Saturday's final against either Flamengo or Al Hilal, should Madrid overcome Egyptian side Al Ahly.

Los Blancos, who have won the competition four times in the past eight seasons, also have a Champions League last-16 first-leg tie at Liverpool in a fortnight.