My Football Facts ⇒ Articles | Asia Football
By Jonathan Lewis | 19th Mar 2024
The 2023/24 AFC Champions League has reached the business end of the competition, with only four teams left in the race for a coveted continental trophy.
United Arab Emirates (UAE) side Al-Ain take on runaway Saudi Pro League (SPL) leaders Al-Hilal in the opening semi-final contest, while K-League pacesetters Ulsan HD take on J-League outfit Yokohama F Marinos trade tackles in the other.
Reigning champions Urawa Red Diamonds stunned the continent after reclaiming the title from Al-Hilal last season, beating the SPL juggernauts 2-1 on aggregate.
However, they failed to progress past the group stage this term, finishing one point above Vietnamese outfit Hanoi, who saw their faint hopes of landing the nation’s inaugural success on the continental stage halted prematurely.
While the 2022 V League champions bowed out early, fans following the competition on bongdachaua.com are still eager to see who ends up lifting the trophy.
With the Urawa Reds no longer in the title mix, the Marinos are tasked with maintaining Japan’s legacy AFC Champions League after winning the tournament eight times, toppled only by South Korea’s 12.
To bolster their chances of landing their first-ever triumph in the AFC Champions League, they must edge past South Korean side Ulsan in the last four, setting the stage for a promising knockout showdown.
The 2023/24 AFC Champions League is rewriting the record books, becoming the most-watched edition in the tournament’s history.
This surge in viewership coincides with a summer transfer window that saw Asian clubs, particularly those in Saudi Arabia, attract a plethora of global superstars.
Fixture after fixture has garnered massive attention, fuelled by the presence of these high-profile names. This season also marks a significant shift in the AFC Champions League’s schedule.
For nearly two decades, the competition spanned across a calendar year. However, the 2023/24 edition boasts a more traditional format, mirroring European leagues with matches running from August to May.
However, this season also signifies farewell to a familiar trend. The current AFC Champions League format will undergo a facelift next year, adopting a tiered structure similar to UEFA’s Champions League.
But this move will ultimately see a reduction in the number of teams participating in the top-tier competition.
AFC Champions League 2023/24 – Semi-Final Schedule
The semi-finals begin on Tuesday, April 16, with Al-Ain kicking things off at home to pre-tournament favourites Al-Hilal.
Yokohama F Marinos then journey to South Korea to take on Ulsan on Wednesday, April 17. The reverse fixtures take place on April 23/24.
AFC Champions League 2023/24 – Preview
Al-Ain vs Al-Hilal
The upcoming match between Al-Ain and Al Hilal promises to be a nail-biting encounter.
The last time these two met in the AFC Champions League was in 2019, with Al-Hilal emerging victorious by an aggregate 3-0 scoreline
They beat Al-Ain 1-0 in the initial fixture, but that was the only time Al-Hilal defeated the UAE side on home turf, stretching back to their inaugural meeting in February 2013.
Before the 2019 home defeat to Al-Hilal, Al Ain had not lost when hosting the SPL heavyweights in their previous four encounters (W3, D1), and they’ll need to channel that resilience when they take on Jorge Jesus’ rampant troops.
However, it remains to be seen if that’ll be enough to stifle Al-Hilal, who are historically dominant in this fixture, winning five of the last ten meetings, while Al-Ain have emerged victorious on three occasions (D2).
You have to go back to 2018 for the last time Al-Ain recorded a continental win over Al-Hilal, so they must find a formula to keep the SPL leaders at bay.
They’ve already eliminated an SPL giant, defeating Al-Nassr on penalties after playing out a staggering 4-4 draw, so they’ll fancy their chances of inflicting similar damage on Al-Hilal.
Ulsan HD vs Yokohama FM
Ulsan last tasted success in the AFC Champions League in 2020, and they will fancy their chances of repeating the trick if they can maintain their recent form.
They have picked up seven points from their opening three league games, while their continental form also deserves a mention after defeating Ventforet Kofu and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors to advance to the semi-finals.
This is the first time the two sides will square off in a continental showdown, and Ulsan will head into the game against their J-League counterparts brimming with confidence.
Yokohama FM will face a challenging task when they take on the two-time AFC Champions League winners, but they have already proven they deserve to compete amongst the elite.
With a slot in the final up for grabs, they must replicate their resilient performances against Bangkok United and Shandong Taishan to stand a chance against Ulsan.
