Contrasting styles match-up in Asian finale
- Asian climax and sheet to FIFA Club World Cup adult for grabs
- Al Hilal seeking to win initial continental title
- Urawa aiming to finish decade-long drought
Fans opposite Asia will be treated to a smashing night of football as Al Hilal perform Urawa Red Diamonds in this year’s AFC Champions League final initial leg on Saturday. Both clubs exaggerate copiousness of extraction – a Saudi giants are a tournament’s many gifted campaigners, particularly reaching a final in 2014, while a J.League outfit carried a prize in 2007.
An heated confront seems positive with a continental title, as good as a place during subsequent month’s FIFA Club World Cup adult for grabs. There is combined motivation, too, with Al Hilal unfortunate to finish their prolonged wait for a lass AFC Champions League pretension and Urawa Red Diamonds penetrating on doubling their Asian haul. Join FIFA.com as we preview a initial leg.
The match
Al Hilal-Urawa Red Diamonds, King Fahd International Stadium, Riyadh, Saturday 18 Nov (19:15 internal time)
It is constantly a strife of styles when easterly meets west in a Asian showpiece and this year’s final will be no exception. The visiting East Asians have, like many other J.League teams, tender by their trained play, liquid flitting and attack-minded approach. Indeed, they are this season’s heading goalscorers with 28 goals garnered so far.
The West Asian hosts are, meanwhile, a usually organisation to have remained undefeated in this campaign, mostly interjection to their plain defence. But they are of march not lacking in firepower, deliberation they scored some-more goals than any other side during a knockout theatre (13).
Ramon Diaz’s Hilal will demeanour to in-form Syrian striker Omar Kharbin in attack, while South American twin Carlos Eduardo and Nicolas Milesi are a organisation to yield expostulate from a midfield. Takafumi Hori’s visitors, for their part, can count on a goalscoring potency of top-striker Rafael Silva, while playmaker Yosuke Kashiwagi has tallied 5 assists this campaign.
Player to watch
Despite now being 36-years-old, Yuki Abe has mislaid nothing of a form that saw him win his initial AFC Champions League pretension with Urawa Red Diamonds behind in 2007. Now 10 years on, a defender has bound his sights resolutely on recapturing a Asian laurels carrying skippered his side all a approach by to a final. Aside from his leadership, a former Japan and Leicester City player’s practice on a continental theatre will be essential if Urawa are to come divided from Saudi Arabia with a gratifying result.
Do we know?
The final will see 3 players strive opposite any other for a tournament’s top-scorer award. Leading a list is nothing other than Al Hilal’s on-song striker Omar Kharbin, who is commanding a scoring draft with 9 goals – dual transparent of both team-mate Carlos Eduardo and also Urawa brazen Rafael Silva. Few would, of course, doubt a Syrian’s chances of claiming a ultimate particular fame deliberation his inclusive form during a knockout phase. Should he make it, Kharbin will turn a initial Asian actor to bind a endowment given Lee Donggook in 2011.
What they said
“Urawa are a illusory side. They have a really gifted organisation of individuals. They have shown they merit to be during this theatre of a competition. Finals are always special and it is also dangerous since there is so most during interest and emotions can run high. But there is a enterprise and a clarity of faith among my players.”
Al Hilal conduct manager Ramon Diaz
Final preparations take place forward of Saturday’s #ACLFinal first-leg between @Alhilal_FC and @REDSOFFICIAL! pic.twitter.com/Ejq3XF4moc
— #ACLFinal (@TheAFCCL) November 16, 2017
Article source: http://www.fifa.com/clubworldcup/news/y=2017/m=11/news=contrasting-styles-match-up-in-asian-finale-2920533.html