Al Ain: The AFC Champions League quarter-finals feature a classic encounter between Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal and their Emirati rivals Al Ain.
Ahead of the clash, we profile star midfielders Omar Abdulrahman and Nawaf Al Abed as they find themselves face to face one again.
Overview
Abdulrahman
Eight Man-of-The-Match accolades saw Abdulrahman named the 2016 AFC Champions League Most Valuable Player, despite his team Al Ain losing the final to Korea Republic’s Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.
In December, he added the 2016 AFC Player of The Year award to his cabinet, having finished second behind compatriot Ahmed Khalil the previous year.
Al Abed
After netting just three times for Saudi Arabia since his international debut in 2010, attacking midfielder Al Abed found his scoring boots in 2016, producing four goals in his country's 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign.
At club level, 2016/17 was also Al Abed’s best season in front of goal, netting eight in the domestic league as Al Hilal won the Saudi Pro League for the first time in six years.
The current campaign
Abdulrahman
Al Ain’s number 10 has traditionally been the man spraying killer passes to create opportunities for strikers, but this year Abdulrahman has developed a penchant for finding the back of the net.
Indeed, the playmaker has been on the scoresheet so consistently that he now sits atop the scoring charts in the 2017 AFC Champions League with seven goals, two of which have come from the penalty spot.
Al Abed
Al Abed’s most recent trip to the United Arab Emirates with Al Hilal produced a goal in his team’s 2-2 draw against Al Wahda in this season’s group stage.
The midfielder has been a key component in Al Hilal’s attacking play under Ramon Diaz, his passing and movement in the final third creating space and opportunities for the likes of Omar Khribin and Carlos Eduardo to deliver the goals.
Importance to the team
Abdulrahman
After Al Ain’s last golden generation which lifted the 2003 AFC Champions League retired, the UAE side failed to compete at the top end of Asian football, but the emergence of Abdulrahman a few years ago signalled a new dawn for the team and for Emirati football.
The fizzy-haired playmaker became Al Ain’s undisputed star man, unlocking stubborn defences with his passes and scoring set-pieces with impressive accuracy. Once more, Al Ain will look to the 2016 AFC Player of the Year to propel them past stern rivals Al Hilal and into the semi-finals.
Al Abed
Ever since he broke into the first team under Belgian coach Eric Gerets in 2009, Al Abed has grown in influence season after season. Abdulrahman’s youth teammate has contributed 21 goals and 27 assists in his nine years as a first-team player for Al Hilal.
His agility and tactical intelligence means coaches have deployed him on either flank, as an attacking midfielder or deeper in central midfield, enabling the team to adjust to changing match circumstances.
Last time they met
It has almost been a year since Abdulrahman and Al Abed last locked horns when the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier in Jeddah produced one clear winner, despite Abdulrahman's best efforts in creating chance after chance in the opening stages.
But the Emiratis were wasteful and, after the half-hour mark, the tide turned the Saudis' way and Al Abed was at the heart of everything the hosts did.
The stalemate lasted until the final 20 minutes, but then Al Abid and his teammates ran free, scoring three times including an accurately placed second goal from the Al Hilal midfielder.
Photos: Lagardère Sports
Source: the-afc.com