Riyadh, April 23 (BNA): Al-Hilal may be 180 minutes away from extending its regional record of continental titles from four to five, while it faces Japan’s Urawa Reds in the first leg of the AFC Champions League final in Riyadh on Saturday. .
With the Saudi national team’s victory over the eventual champion, Argentina, in the World Cup in Qatar last November, and the elimination of Al-Hilal, the champions of Africa and South America, in the Club World Cup in February, before losing the final 5-3 to Real Madrid, expectations are high. high in the host country.
Not only are Al-Hilal the reigning continental champions – and are trying to become the first team since local rivals Al-Ittihad in 2004 and 2005 to win back-to-back AFC titles – but they also face Urawa in the final. For the third time in six years.
The Japanese club won in 2017, and Al-Hilal got revenge two years later, according to the Associated Press.
Urawa will host the second leg on May 6 at Saitama Stadium, north of Tokyo.
In addition to the many players who have represented Saudi Arabia at the World Cup, Diaz can call up the in-form Odion Ighalo.
The former Nigeria striker, who played on loan at Manchester United in 2020, leads the scoring charts in the Saudi Professional League with 18 goals so far this season.
He also has seven goals in the continental tournament – two more in the final series that will move him ahead of Edmilson Junior of Qatar’s Al Duhail. Al-Hilal crushed Al-Duhail 7-0 in the February semi-finals.
Urawa played the semi-finals against Jeonbuk Motors of South Korea last August in a long tournament.
This edition began 14 months ago, with the delay resulting from the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) move to a calendar reflecting European competition.
Since Urawa’s last AFC Champions League match, Ricardo Rodriguez has been replaced as head coach by Maciej Skorza of Poland.
Urawa currently ranks fourth in the Japanese Premier League, while Al-Hilal ranks fourth in the Saudi domestic league.
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