Continent’s kings: can RSL sides extend Asian rule as Al Ahli chase three-peat? | OneFootball

The AFC Champions League Elite returns on Monday with a record five RSL clubs after expansion from 24 to 32 teams. According to spl.com.sa, RSL sides have made six of the past seven finals, with Al Ahli defending, Cristiano Ronaldo seeking a first, and Al Hilal eyeing more records.

Ange Postecoglou’s Al Nassr prioritise this after last season’s AFC Champions League Two final defeat, a year after an ACL Elite semi-final loss to Kawasaki Frontale. They begin at Al Ain, who ousted them on the way to the 2024 title, and it could be Cristiano Ronaldo’s final campaign.

Al Hilal hold a record four Asian titles. Over the past nine years, they have appeared in four finals involving RSL clubs. They host Al Gharafa on Tuesday with Crysencio Summerville, Ollie Watkins and Gabriel Martinelli in attack.

Al Ahli’s league form has been mixed, yet their recent pedigree keeps them contenders. Ivan Toney has 10 goals in seven matches, with Eduard Spertsyan and Francisco Trincao adding craft, and Pakhtakor visit on Monday.

Al Qadsiah return to Asia after more than 30 years, debuting here having won the old Asian Cup Winners’ Cup in the early 1990s. Brendan Rodgers’ side host Al Wasl on Monday and could surprise.

Al Ittihad won back-to-back titles in the early 2000s, but since 2019 three quarter-finals is their ceiling. New boss Jens Wissing, who lifted AFC Champions League Two with Gamba Osaka, has them unbeaten after seven RSL rounds, and they open at Al Shamal.

Source: spl.com.sa

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