AFC Champions League: Mumbai City FC travel to Saudi to face defending champions Al Hilal

Mumbai City FC are yet to score in AFC Champions League 2023-24

Mumbai City FC are gearing up for a thrilling encounter in the AFC Champions League group stage, where they'll face off against the Saudi-based powerhouse, Al Hilal, in their third match. This exciting clash comes after a short break, with the added intrigue of Al Hilal missing their star player, Neymar.

Des Buckingham's team has not performed well in the 2023-24 ACL stage, suffering defeats in their opening two matches against Nassaji and Navbahor. In contrast, Al Hilal have a strong track record in this AFC Champions League, having secured the top position in the table standings.

Let’s take a look at what we can expect from this exciting fixture:

The Stakes

Al Hilal

Al Hilal are in a commanding position in the AFC Champions League group stage, having accumulated a total of four points. Notably, they're also leading the Saudi Pro League with an impressive 26 points in just 10 games.

This Saudi powerhouse has been on fire in both domestic and international competitions. With Neymar sidelined due to injury, the spotlight now falls on players like Mitrovic, Malcom, Koulibaly, and the rest of the team, who will be aiming to give Mumbai City FC a formidable challenge.

Mumbai City FC

Mumbai City FC have displayed a dual personality this season. The team has excelled in the ISL, amassing a total of seven points in just three games, but has yet to secure a single victory in the AFC Champions League.

Des Buckingham's team faced defeats in their AFC Champions League matches against Nassaji and Navbahor. They now confront Al Hilal, a strong contender for this year's AFC Champions League title. The Islanders must ensure they are fully prepared for this encounter, having all their resources at the ready.

Injury & Team News

Mumbai City FC boasts a complete and healthy roster, whereas Al Hilal will be without their star player, Neymar Jr., who sustained an injury during Brazil's recent match against Uruguay in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers. Additionally, Salman Al-Faraj will be unavailable due to a red card received in Al Hilal's previous ACL match against Nassaji.

Head-to-Head

Mumbai City FC and Al Hilal will face each other for the very first time.

Predicted Line-ups

Al Hilal (4-5-1)

Yassine Bounou, Saud Abdulhamid, Kalidou Koulibaly, Ali Albulayhi, Yasser Alshahrani, Sergej Milinković-Savić, Ruben Neves, Malcom, Michael, Salem Aldawsari, Aleksandar Mitrović

Mumbai City FC (4-2-3-1)

Phurba Lachenpa (GK), Rahul Bheke, Rostyn Griffiths, Tiri, Akash Mishra, Apuia, Yoëll van Nieff, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Greg Stewart, Bipin Singh, Jorge Pereyra Diaz.

Players to Watch

Kalidou Koulibaly

Koulibaly displays remarkable agility in his positioning and possesses the ability to anticipate and clear potential threats effectively. Additionally, he can be a danger during Al Hilal's offensive set-pieces, given his strong finishing skills and the advantage of towering over Mumbai's defenders, allowing him to direct headers towards the goal.

Greg Stewart

Mumbai City’s attacking midfielder Greg Stewart, poses the biggest threat to Al Hilal. The Scottish international has played a crucial role in dictating the tempo of the game and is currently in terrific form for the Islanders. Given space and time, Stewart knows how to exploit his opponents!

Did You Know?

• Neymar will be sidelined for a duration of 9 months after suffering a complete tear of his ACL and meniscus.
• Al Hilal have not conceded a single goal in their last 5 matches.

Telecast

The match between Al Hilal and Mumbai City will take place at the King Fahd International Stadium in Saudi Arabia, on October 23rd, 2023 (Monday). The kick-off time is 11:30 pm IST. The game will be telecasted live on Sports 18 network. Fancode and JioTV will also stream the match.