Shabab Al Ahli are one game from the AFC Champions League Elite final as they prepare to face Japan’s Machida Zelvia in Jeddah on Tuesday night.
The UAE side meet the Japanese club in the semi-finals at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium, with kick-off at 8.15pm UAE time.
Paulo Sousa’s team reached the last four after a hard-fought 3-2 win over Thai side, Buriram United in extra time on Saturday. Machida Zelvia, playing in the competition for the first time, advanced after beating Al Sadd.
Shabab Al Ahli come into the match as ADNOC Pro League champions and with six goals scored across their two matches in Jeddah. They are now one step away from matching their best run in Asia, after also reaching the semi-finals in 2015.
Sousa said his focus had been on recovery after the quarter-final, but made clear his side believe they can go further.
“We will only start preparing for the match today because yesterday was about recovery,” he said. “We know Machida are one of the most competitive teams, but we will dream and fight to win this game.”
The Portuguese coach said he has been encouraged by the progress of a young Shabab Al Ahli squad. He pointed to the number of players aged 22 or under who featured in the win against Buriram as a sign of how quickly the group is growing.
He also warned that Machida will be a difficult opponent. Sousa described the Japanese side as organised, tactically disciplined and dangerous on the counter-attack.
“We know we will be facing a team strong on the counter-attack,” he said. “We have to fight for every ball against the Japanese team.”
Machida coach Go Kuroda said the extra day of rest his players had enjoyed would matter little once the game began.
“Yes, we have an advantage from a schedule perspective,” he said. “But this is the semi-final. Both teams will expect a high-quality match and as soon as the game starts, the players won’t feel whatever lethargy they were feeling before.”
Kuroda has reason to trust his defence. Machida have kept six clean sheets in 11 matches in the competition and built much of their run on defensive shape and discipline.
“Through the J-League to this tournament, we have built a strong defensive ethos,” he said. “Our opponents are physically strong and have speed, but I expect us to deal with them properly.”
The match is a chance to move closer to one of the biggest results in the club’s recent history.
Either way, Tuesday night’s semi-final brings together two sides who have made strong runs for different reasons. Shabab Al Ahli have relied on goals and depth. Machida have built their campaign on order and defensive control.
Now only one of them will move on to the final.
