AFC Champions League Rival Watch: Al Hilal

Al Hilal will unfortunately miss their star player Neymar in this AFC Champions League clash.

Mumbai City FC will be back in action in the AFC Champions League when they travel to face Saudi Pro League heavyweights Al Hilal. In the form of the Blue Waves, they’re facing one of the undisputed best teams in Asian football.

Al Hilal are one of the favourites to win the AFC Champions League and are glittered with renowned footballers. They will definitely be the toughest challenge that the Islanders have faced in their history. With that being said, here we look into what can be expected from the Asian giants.

About the Team

The Blue Waves are one of the most decorated teams in Saudi Pro League history and one of the best ones in Asian football right now. They have won the AFC Champions League title four times, including recent triumphs in 2019 and 2021. They finished as runners-up in the ACL last season and are hungry to regain their championship this time around.

Apart from that, Al Hilal have also won the Saudi Pro League title 18 times in the past! They have also lifted the Saudi King’s Cup 10 times as well as the Crown Prince Cup 13 times. In total, they have won a whopping 62 trophies in their history and have an extremely rich history to boast of.

Recent Performances

Al HIlal have had a brilliant start to the 2023/24 Saudi Pro League season and are sitting on top of the league table. They have won seven of their first nine games, scoring 26 goals and only conceding seven times in that duration.

Boasting of some amazing summer seasons, the Blue Waves are dominating their opponents in Saudi Arabia and look like major favourites to win the title. However, they haven’t exactly been unstoppable in the AFC Champions League so far. Al Hilal drew their opening game in the competition to Navbahor before destroying FC Nassaji in the second game. Al Hilal also won their last four games before the October international break.

The Coach

Jorge Jesus is an extremely experienced manager who boasts a coaching career stretching over 30 years! The 69-year-old is currently in his second stint as Al Hilal’s head coach and has managed some prominent football teams in the past.

Jesus was at the helm of prominent Portuguese teams like Benfica, Sporting CP and Braga – as well as having short stints at Fenerbahce and Flamengo. His most prominent period was as the Benfica manager, when he helped them win three Primeira Liga titles and finish as UEFA Europa League runners-up twice. He helped Al Hilal in the Saudi Super Cup in 2018.

The 69-year-old has opted to unleash his star-studded Al Hilal side into an attack-minded 4-2-3-1 shape. The Blue Waves love dominating possession under him and play a crisp, swift-passing attacking football, thanks to the range of options. He will definitely urge his players to play some ruthless attacking football to get a big win over the Indian Super League (ISL) side.

Players to Watch

Kalidou Koulibaly

The former Napoli defender will be a menacing factor for the ISL side on both halves of the pitch. Even if the Islanders are able to get away from their half, they will face a monumental task to get past the gigantic centre-back or outwit him in the final third.

Koulibaly is surprisingly agile with his movement and can perfectly read moves to clear away danger. On top of that, the centre-back can also be a threat in Al Hilal's attacking set-pieces, as he boasts impressive finishing ability and can tower over the Mumbai defenders to deliver headers on goal.

Aleksandar Mitrovic

The summer signing from Fulham has proven to be a masterstroke in the Al Hilal side and a perfect final piece of the puzzle in their attack. Mitrovic is a bullish, aggressive striker who takes on players with his physical style. He is also a clinical finisher, who manages to sneak his way past the defenders into empty spaces to create chaos.

Mitrovic really doesn’t need too many chances to score goals and will look to run riot in the Islanders’ backline. He should get a lot of opportunities to score in this one, but needs to be at his ruthless best to put away the slick moves in compelling fashion.

Ruben Neves

Not only will Mumbai City be troubled by Al Hilal’s attackers, but also their midfield will keep the Islanders on their toes. Ruben Neves has added a lot of creativity and control to the Blue Waves’ structure after joining from Wolves in summer. The Portuguese midfielder is really clever, having an impressive range of passing ability.

He can help build up moves with his splitting passes to expose the opposition backline and play his attacking players into the opposition's final third. Moreover, Neves is also a menace with his excellent set-piece quality and deadly long-range shooting ability. It’ll take the Islanders quite a lot to steal him of possession. Neves will definitely play a key role in helping Al Hilal unlock Mumbai’s defensive shape.

What to Expect

There is no point mincing any words here. Al Hilal will totally dominate this upcoming AFC Champions League game against Mumbai City, barring anything shocking (like an early red card or something). The Islanders love dominating possession in matches, but they might not even get 40% ball possession in this. Al Hilal will be raring to impress their home fans with a thrilling attacking display and score a lot of goals.

They will absolutely barrage the Indian side with constant attacking moves, using their impressive pedigree of talents to create chances from all over the final third. Des Buckingham has to structure his side to be at their defensive best and be extremely resilient to survive the onslaught.