Al Ahli Saudi, Shabab Al Ahli Promise Thrilling AFC Champions League Round of 16 Tie

Doha, September 25 (QNA) - The 2020 AFC Champions League Round of 16 gets underway on Saturday at Al Janoub Stadium with Al Ahli Saudi FC taking on Shabab Al Ahli Dubai. Al Ahli reached the knock-out stage for the eighth time in their history after topping Group A with six points. Following the withdrawal of Al Wahda FSCC and annulment of their results, Al Ahli's 1-0 win over Al Shorta on Matchday Three meant they advanced to the next round with two games to spare, having picked up four points from their first two matches. Amongst Saudi clubs, only Al Hilal SFC boast more appearances in the AFC Champions League knockout stages than Al Ahli. And the Jeddah-based side's best performance in the competition came in 2012 when they went all the way to the final before losing to Ulsan Hyundai 3-0. Head coach Vladan Milojevic's side also became the only team to reach the knockout stage every year since 2017. In turn, Shabab Al Ahli finished second behind Pakhtakor in Group B. The annulment of Al Hilal's results in the group meant seven points were enough to send the Emiratis to the next round. Under Spanish head coach Gerard Zaragoza, Shabab Al Ahli are unbeaten since the restart of the competition, having picked up full points in their double header against Shahr Khodro and added a point with a draw against Pakhtakor on Matchday Five. Rebranded as Shabab Al Ahli in 2017 after Al Ahli Dubai were merged with Al Shabab and Dubai SC, the seven-time UAE Pro League champions are back in the AFC Champions League and in the knockout stage for the first time since the 2017 edition in which they exited in the Round of 16 at the hands of none other than their Saturday opponents Al Ahli. While Shabab Al Ahli have previously reached the knockout stage just twice, they were present in the competition's final more recently than their opponents. The Dubai-club's best run in the AFC Champions League saw them eliminate the likes of Al Ain and Al Hilal to go all the way, before falling a goal short and losing the final to Guangzhou Evergrande 1-0 on aggregate. Saturday's clash at Al Janoub Stadium is the fifth between the two sides in the AFC Champions League, and goals were always present in their previous encounters. (QNA)