AFC Champions League: Three key battles to decide Al Hilal vs Mumbai City tie

The Islanders will be up against several notable individuals in the opposition ranks

Mumbai City FC is set to travel to Saudi Arabia to face Al Hilal in their next AFC Champions League 2023-24 fixture on 23 October 2023. It is going to be an uphill battle for the Indian Super League premiers who have already lost their opening two matches of the group stage.

Facing a team with players who have experience playing in the top European leagues is going to be challenging. Des Buckingham’s men will hope to avoid defeat for the third game in a row but they are up against one of the favourites to win the ACL. Having said that, if MCFC players turn up on the night and manage to win their duels, perhaps the result could sway in the favour of the ISL outfit.

As the highly-anticipated AFC Champions League fixture approaches closer, here is a look at the three key battles that will be vital in deciding the eventual outcome of the game:

Kalidou Koulibaly vs Jorge Diaz

Kalidou Koulobaly is the leader in defence for Al Hilal and loves to dominate opposition attackers with his stature and strength. He is a force to reckon with and excels in winning aerial/ground duels.

He will come face to face with the most obvious attacking threat in Mumbai City FC’s lineup, i.e., Jorge Diaz. The 33-year-old has nine goals in nine overall appearances for the Islanders in the ongoing season. It will boil down to the service Diaz receives who has the quality to score from anywhere inside the box.

Aleksandar Mitrovic vs Rostyn Griffiths

Aleksandar Mitrovic has been in red-hot form since joining Al Hilal in the summer transfer window from Premier League outfit Fulham. He has seven goals and two assists in the first 10 appearances for the Saudi club and promises to score more in the fixtures to come.

He will be licking his lips and aiming to score multiple goals against a Mumbai City FC side which has conceded five goals already from the opening two games in the ACL 2023-24. However, coming up against Rostyn Griffiths will make Mitrovic’s life a little harder. The centre-back reads the game well and will aim to stop the Al Hilal striker from scoring. He is strong in the air but so is Mitrovic and their clashes will be to watch out for.

Malcom vs Greg Stewart

Neymar is likely to miss the clash against Mumbai City FC after picking up a serious-looking knee injury during the international break while playing for Brazil. In his place, Malcom is the favourite to start in the No.10 role for Al Hilal. The former FC Barcelona player has already scored six times for the Saudi club.

On the other hand, Greg Stewart is the most skilful player in the Mumbai City FC lineup. His presence in the midfield is vital to their cause. His creativity, quality from set-piece situations and more make him central to most MCFC attacks. It will be interesting to see which of the two players comes out on top in the battle of the midfield and is able to produce better attacking opportunities for their respective teams.