RIYADH: It is a question being asked all around Asia as the AFC Champions League gets into gear: Who can stop Al-Hilal? Who can stop the title holders, who picked up a record fourth continental crown last November, from making it five this time around? While there is still plenty of time for a challenger to step forward, there is no doubt that the Saudi Arabian powerhouse are
Two games down in the group stage of the AFC Champions League and four to go. There is still time to recover from poor starts while the finish line, in the shape of the second round, will be coming into view for those with maximum points. Here are five things we learned from Matchday Two. 1. Al-Faisaly pick up the result of the round Al-Faisaly 2 Al-Sadd 1. It is one of the
RIYADH: One of football’s oldest adages is that, as a coach, you should never go back, and Al-Hilal fans were underwhelmed in February when Ramon Diaz returned to Riyadh for a second spell at the club. Now, however, the Argentine’s record is played four, won four with 14 goals scored and just one conceded. That is impressive, especially considering that there were two games
For Al-Hilal, 2021 has been close to perfect. In May, the Riyadh giants defeated title-rivals Al-Shahab to win the Saudi Pro League title for a record 17th time. Six months later, Pohang Steelers of South Korea were beaten 2-0 in front of over 50,000 delighted fans to wrap up a second AFC Champions League title in three years and a record fourth continental crown. Between May
For a new coach of Al-Nassr, an opening game against city rivals Al-Hilal has the potential to be a blessing as much as a curse, but for Miguel Angel Russo, Thursday’s Riyadh derby could set the tone for the rest of his tenure in one of the most demanding jobs in Asian football. These are trying times at Al-Nassr. Despite considerable investment in the playing squad in recent