AFC Champions League - Landing Page

It has been a ride full of ups and downs for Asia’s most decorated club who are aiming to extend their record to five AFC Champions League titles, while preventing their final opponents from closing the gap to one title.

With just a month to go until the resumption of one of Asia’s greatest club rivalries when the first leg takes place at King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, and having looked at how things are shaping up at Urawa, the-AFC.com reviews the status quo at King Fahd International Stadium.

Much has changed in that time, with a host of arrivals and departures at the Saitama club who, like their opponents, are aiming to become the first three-time winners of the competition in the AFC Champions League era, although the Saudi side did win a further two Asian Club Championships prior to 2002-03.

With just a month to go until the resumption of one of Asia’s greatest club rivalries when the first leg takes place at King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh on April 29, the-AFC.com takes a look at how the two clubs are shaping up, starting with Urawa.

The knockout stages, which were held in the centralised hub of Qatar, witnessed some fascinating matches over the past week. The-AFC.com takes a look back at what those involved had to say about the key moments.

Ramon Diaz's side emphatically defeated Qatar's Al Duhail SC 7-0 as the Saudi Arabian side advanced to their fourth final in six years.

The-AFC.com takes a look at some interesting facts and figures.

The Argentine coach was in charge when Al Hilal suffered a heartbreaking defeat to the Japanese side in the 2017 decider, losing 2-1 on aggregate.

Al Hilal, however, are a different side now from then as the Saudi Arabian side went on to lift the trophy twice - in 2019 and 2021 - and Diaz is confident they will become only the second side to emerge back-to-back champions in the AFC Champions League era.

The defending champions were in imperious form as they cruised to a 7-0 victory, leading to Crespo admitting that the Saudi Arabian side thoroughly deserved the win which booked them a final date with Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds.

Ighalo’s second-minute opener laid the groundwork for defending champions Al Hilal cruising to a 7-0 win, with the Saudi Arabian side taking a hefty five-goal lead into the half-time break.

Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal will host the first leg of the final in Riyadh on April 29 before travelling to Japan to take on Urawa at Saitama Stadium on May 6 and the four-time winners will be confident of retaining the title after a remarkable and ruthless display in Doha.

Al Hilal, the defending champions, are seeking to lift the trophy for the third time in four years while Al Duhail are in their maiden semi-final, with the winners to face Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds, with the two-leg final to be played on April 29 and May 6.

Defending champions AL Hilal of Saudi Arabia are seeking to win the title for the third time in four years while Al Duhail will be appearing in their first semi-final.

Join the-AFC.com as we take a look at the key facts and stats ahead of the showdown at the Al Thumama Stadium