Asian Champions League: Quarter Finals Preview
Paul Williams
And then there were eight.
The quarter finals of this year's AFC Champions League begin this week with four tantalising match ups across east and west Asia. We give you the rundown on each of the match ups.
Shanghai SIPG vs Guangzhou Evergrande
Form: Both teams have seen a dip in form recently, with Shanghai winning only two of their last five matches in the CSL, which included a shock loss to Guizhou Zhicheng on the weekend. Guangzhou has recovered from their dip in form to restore an eight point lead on top of the table, with one hand now firmly secure on a seventh straight league title.
Head to Head: Until recently Shanghai SIPG had never beaten Guangzhou in any of their previous 12 matches. But it was lucky 13 for SIPG, who scored a morale boosting 2-1 win over their rivals in the CFA Cup a fortnight ago.
Match Winners: There are plenty of match winners on either side. Shanghai regains Oscar after his lengthy domestic ban, and his skill and class will no doubt be important, but it's another Brazilian that looms as the game changer for Shanghai - Hulk. The strong, powerful striker has six goals in seven matches in this campaign and a constant cause of concern for any defence.
For Guangzhou, they have a Brazilian of their own in goal machine Ricardo Goulart. Finding a replacement for Elkeson and Muriqui was never going to be easy, but Goulart has slotted in seamlessly with 55 goals in 79 league matches.
Key Question: How does Guangzhou Evergrande cover the loss of Paulinho to Barcelona?
Kawasaki Frontale vs Urawa Reds
Form: Urawa Reds have managed to arrest their mid-season slide back-to-back wins for the first time since April. Their horror run of eight losses in 12 games cost Mihailo Petrovic his job and killed off any hopes the Saitama side had of getting their hands on the J.League title.
There are no form concerns for Kawasaki though. Sitting third on the table, they've won ten of their last 14 matches, including a 3-1 win over ladder leaders Kashima Antlers two weeks ago.
Head to Head: Their most recent meeting came last month during Urawa's mid-season slump, with Kawasaki storming to a 4-1 win at home. Looking more broadly, Urawa has only won once against Kawasaki since April 2014.
Match Winners: At 36 years of age, Kengo Nakamura is still going strong and was last year named the J.League MVP. The silky midfielder is in almost career best form in the Frontale midfield and is the player Urawa need to nullify if they are to have a chance.
If they are to take an advantage into the second leg at home Urawa will need goals, and their most reliable in that department is Shinzo Koroki. The former Kashima man is the Reds most consistent scorer, and this season has 15 goals from 23 league matches.
Key Question: Has Urawa really turned the corner after their mid-season slump?
Al Ain vs Al Hilal
Form: Al Hilal has started the new Saudi Pro League in goal-scoring form, with six goals in their opening two matches. With the new season only two games in it's hard to get a true read of their form, but in this year's ACL campaign they're yet to taste defeat.
Al Ain, on the other hand, are still effectively in pre-season with the new Arabian Gulf League season still almost a month from starting. Their most recent match, the Round of 16 second leg against Esteghlal, highlighted the strength of this team with a thumping 6-1 victory.
Head to Head: The two most recently met in the semi final of the 2014 AFC Champions League, with Al Hilal edging that one 4-2 on aggregate thanks to a big 3-0 win at home in the first leg.
Match Winners: For Al Ain there is only one - Omar Abdulrahman. The darling of Asian football has starred for Al Ain this campaign, with seven goals from midfield, including a brace in their 6-1 win over Esteghlal in the Round of 16. When it comes to match winners there are none bigger than the little magician.
Al Hilal's own midfield maestro, Nawaf Al-Abed, has been sidelined with injury, which is a big blow to their chances. Syrian striker Omar Khribin, who signed after a protracted transfer saga with Al Dhafra in the UAE, is the key man up front though. In his eight months with the Riyadh-based club he's shown he is a prolific goal scorer and Al Hilal's fortunes will rely heavily on his ability to find the back of the net.
Key Question: Can Al Hilal find a way to stop Omar Abdulrahman?
Persepolis vs Al Ahli
Form: Four games into the new Persian Gulf Pro League and Persepolis sit atop the table, with three wins and a draw. While they've struggled to find the net in the ACL, with only ten goals in eight games, they've had no such issues domestically with eight goals in their first four games.
Al Ahli's start to the season in Saudi Arabia has been a mixed bag, with one win and one loss. What will please Serhiy Rebrov is their win on the weekend, a 4-0 thumping of Al Fateh. There's nothing like winning form heading into a big game.
Head to Head: This will be the first time the two teams have ever met in Asian competition.
Match Winners: When it comes to in-form strikers in Asia, there are few better than Omar Al-Soma for Al Ahli. The Syrian has scored a staggering 86 goals in 85 matches across the league and AFC Champions League since joining the club.
For Persepolis, they too have one of Asia's best strikers in Mehdi Taremi. The prolific 25-year-old has scored six of their ten goals in this year's campaign, so if Persepolis are to get the job done at home a lot rests on the shoulders of Taremi.
Key Question: Can Persepolis do what few teams have and stop Omar Al-Soma from scoring an important away goal?
Copyright: Paul Williams & Soccerphile.com
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