Al-Ahli Saudi Arabia and Kawasaki Frontale of Japan clashed in the AFC Champions League final at the packed King Abdullah Stadium in Jeddah. Matthias Jaissle’s Al-Ahli, backed by their passionate home crowd, started aggressively, aiming for their historic first title. Meanwhile, Japan’s surprise package Kawasaki Frontale entered the match with high motivation to defy the odds in Saudi Arabia.

Al-Ahli’s path to the final was challenging. They defeated Al-Rayyan of Qatar in the Round of 16, Buriram United of Thailand in the quarterfinals, and overcame Al-Hilal 3-1 in a tense semifinal. Kawasaki Frontale, after finishing second in their group, overcame Shanghai Shenhua in the Round of 16 before defeating Al-Sadd and Al-Nassr 3-2 to reach the final.

Despite lacking star players and a massive budget, Kawasaki Frontale earned admiration for their performances. Now, they aimed to create history against nearly 70,000 Saudi fans supporting Al-Ahli.

Al-Ahli Starting XI:
Edouard Mendy, Ali Majrashi, Merih Demiral, Roger Ibañez, Ezgjan Alioski, Franck Kessié, Ziyad Al-Johani, Riyad Mahrez, Galeno, Roberto Firmino, Ivan Toney
Coach: Matthias Jaissle

Kawasaki Frontale Starting XI:
Luis Yamaguchi, Asahi Sasaki, Kota Takai, Yuichi Maruyama, Sota Miura, So Kawahara, Yuki Yamamoto, Marcinho, Ya Suto Wakizaka, Akihiro Ienaga, Élison
Coach: Shigetoshi Hasebe

Goal Summary:
Al-Ahli 1 – Kawasaki Frontale 0 (35′ Galeno): Roberto Firmino laid the ball off to Galeno outside the box. The Brazilian winger struck a stunning volley into the top corner for the opening goal.

Key Moments:
5′: Franck Kessié’s cross found Ivan Toney, whose powerful shot was tipped for a corner by Yamaguchi.
6′: Al-Ahli wasted another chance as Ziyad Al-Johani’s close-range effort was saved.
11′: Kawasaki’s first real chance came from Marcinho, whose shot narrowly missed.
17′: Toney’s shot hit the side netting.
18′: Roger Ibañez’s long-range effort went just wide.
22′: Galeno’s weak shot was comfortably saved.
33′: Firmino’s shot from distance was easily gathered.

Match Context:

* Over 60,000 fans packed the stadium, mostly supporting Al-Ahli in their home venue.

* A small contingent of Japanese fans were also present.

* The AFC Champions League trophy was displayed before kickoff.

* Al-Ahli fans created an electric atmosphere, hoping for their team’s first Asian title.