Familiar foes prepare for battle in Asian Champions League final

HONG KONG : Urawa Red Diamonds renew their regional rivalry with Al Hilal in the first leg of the Asian Champions League final in Riyadh on Saturday and the Japanese side are expecting a much tougher challenge from the Saudis than any team they have faced so far.

The teams are meeting in the continental showpiece for the third time in six years, with Urawa lifting the title in 2017 and Al Hilal avenging that defeat two years later.

Urawa have undergone a recent uptick in form after a slow start to their season under new coach Maciej Skorza, but the Reds will still go into the final as underdogs.

"Al Hilal will be 10 times more difficult than any team we have played in the competition so far," Shinzo Koroki, one of three Urawa players to have previously faced Al Hilal, told the Asian Football Confederation's official website recently.

"But this will be a good experience for our players and, of course, I hope we can win and celebrate together."

Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal will be defending a title they have won a record four times. The final is taking place more than a year after the 2022 edition kicked off due to delays caused by the World Cup being held in November and Decemeber.

Tickets at the 56,453-capacity King Fahd International Stadium have sold out and another bumper crowd is expected when the teams meet again at Saitama Stadium in Japan next Saturday.

Seven Al Hilal players have experience of the fixture having featured in both the previous meetings between the clubs but inconsistent form caused by injuries and fatigue during a packed schedule has seen the club slip to fourth in the league.

Urawa, twice Asian champions, are also fourth in Japan but after starting the campaign with back-to-back defeats they have won five of