Traditional rivals clash: Are you ready for the match between "Pakhtakor" and "Al Hilal"?

In honor of the blessed month of Ramadan, the game start time has been set at 21:00 for the convenience of fans.

"Pakhtakor" has sparked hope

On February 17, "Pakhtakor" defeating "Al Sadd" at this stadium was a significant event. Based on previous match results, there was a thought that we were not yet ready for the Elite. However, "Pakhtakor's" victory and the hope of entering the strong eight ignited sparks of hope. No, our football has not stopped yet. We can play football too. We also have our say in Asia. It has been over 20 years that we have been trying to achieve something in the Asian Champions League.

It turned out that in the Elite ACL matches of the Western region, with 12 teams participating, all teams played 8 matches, and 8 teams advanced to the next stage. "Pakhtakor" joined the chain as the 8th team. Look, "Al Garafa," which won two matches, fell off the train. "Persepolis," "Al Shorta," and "Al Ain" also could not make it to the eight. Especially the current champion of the ACL, "Al Ain," showed a very poor performance: two draws and 6 losses. Three clubs had the same score of 7 points, and "Pakhtakor" advanced to the next stage due to a slightly better goal difference.

Teams that advanced to the next stage:
1. "Al Hilal" (Saudi Arabia)
2. "Al Ahli" (Saudi Arabia)
3. "Al Nassr" (Saudi Arabia)
4. "Al Sadd" (Qatar)
5. "Al Wasl" (UAE)
6. "Istiqlol" (Iran)
7. "Al Rayyan" (Qatar)
8. "Pakhtakor" (Uzbekistan)

For your information: The first matches of the 1/8 finals will take place on March 3-4, and the return matches will be held on March 10-11. The pairings are as follows:

March 3. "Istiqlol" - "Al Nassr" (return match on March 10)
March 3. "Al Wasl" - "Al Sadd" (return match on March 10)

March 4. "Pakhtakor" - "Al Hilal" (return match on March 11)
March 4. "Al Rayyan" - "Al Ahli" (return match on March 11)

After these matches, starting from the quarter-finals, the semi-finals and finals will be held in a centralized manner only in Saudi Arabia. This is because the AFC has made such a decision. Therefore, the quarter-finals and subsequent matches are referred to as the Elite final stage of the ACL.

Thus, on March 4, "Pakhtakor" will face the strongest team of the Elite ACL, "Al Hilal." We did not call it an eternal rivals clash for nothing. The reason is that both clubs are in their 20th season in the Asian Champions League. True, the competition format has changed since last year, being referred to as Elite, but we cannot disregard the previous history as it is logically a continuation of the Asian Champions League that we have learned to refer to. Moreover, "Pakhtakor" has faced "Al Hilal" 8 times until now.

Is "Al Hilal" still strong?

Yes, strong. This team did not finish first in the Elite ACL group stage for nothing. "Al Hilal" won 7 out of 8 matches and accumulated 22 points with another draw. The Saudis have not lost yet. In the domestic championship, "Al Hilal" is currently in 2nd place and is still fighting for the championship.

Another aspect is that "Al Hilal" has more match practice compared to "Pakhtakor." Since "Pakhtakor" has not participated in any official matches since defeating "Al Sadd" on February 17. However, "Al Hilal" played 3 more official matches after defeating UAE's "Al Wasl" on the evening of February 18.

February 18. Elite ACL. "Al Wasl" - "Al Hilal" 0:2

February 22. Saudi League. "Al Ittihad" - "Al Hilal" 4:1

February 25. Saudi League. "Al Hilal" - "Al Khaleej" 5:1

March 1. Saudi League. "Al Hilal" - "Al Ahli" 2:3

Thus, this team has played three matches in the last week. Now let's briefly review these four matches.

"Al Wasl" - "Al Hilal" 0:2

"Al Hilal" returned home after defeating the Emirati club 2:0 away. The goals were scored by Marcos Leonardo and Salem Al Dawsari. By the way, Salem Al Dawsari is considered one of the strongest players in Asia. He also plays well in the national team. Moreover, he is currently the top scorer of the Elite ACL with 7 goals. For your information, Cristiano Ronaldo has 6 goals.

"Al Ittihad" - "Al Hilal" 4:1

This match was crucial for "Al Hilal" regarding the championship. However, they lost in the derby. "Al Ittihad" did not spare their opponent and won by a large margin. Marcos Leonardo scored again for "Al Hilal." By the way, this player wears the number 11 jersey. Born in 2003, Marcos is a member of the Brazil U-21 national team. He joined "Al Hilal" last year from Portugal's "Benfica."

"Al Hilal" - "Al Khaleej" 5:1

In the next match, "Al Hilal" took revenge on "Al Khaleej." In this match, both Salem Al Dawsari and Malcolm scored two goals each. Another goal was credited to Marcos Leonardo.

"Al Hilal" - "Al Ahli" 2:3

And finally, last night "Al Hilal" played another important match and lost. In the match against "Al Ahli" at home, the capital team missed the opportunity with a score of 2:3. This was "Al Hilal's" last match before the trip to Tashkent. The match against "Al Ahli" filled the "Kingdom Arena" in Riyadh with fans. The opposing striker Ivan Toni scored three goals. In "Al Hilal," once again, Salem Al Dawsari and Marcos Leonardo scored.

What tactics does "Al Hilal" play?

As you can see, this team's performance is not that great. A large victory over "Al Khaleej" does not mean much. The team missed opportunities against its main rivals - "Al Ittihad" and "Al Ahli." This indicates that "Al Hilal" has enough problems. From now on, it depends on how thoroughly and carefully "Pakhtakor's" coaching staff studies the opponent.

Based on the last four matches, "Al Hilal" has been using the 4-2-3-1 tactic. The goal is mainly guarded by Moroccan Yassine Bounou (No. 37). This goalkeeper is remembered by fans for his performances in the World Cup.

The defense is distributed starting from the right wing as follows: Joao Cancelo (No. 20) - Kalidou Koulibaly (No. 3) - Ali Al Bulayhi (No. 5) - Moteb Al Harbi (No. 24). Two central midfielders are performed by the following players: Ruben Neves (No. 8), Sergey Milinkovich-Savich (No. 22), and Mohamed Kanno (No. 28). In the last match, the coach played the Neves - Savich duo in the midfield.

The left wing of the midfield belongs to the team captain Salem Al Dawsari (No. 29). He has been the only one playing for the last four matches. On the right, Kayo Cesar (No. 27) plays. Only in one match did Malcolm (No. 77) play on the right. In the other three matches, Kayo Cesar played. Behind the striker, Abdullah Al Hamdan (No. 99) sometimes plays, sometimes Sergey Milinkovich-Savich, and sometimes Malcolm. Now this also depends on the coach's choice.

The clear striker in the team is the aforementioned Marcos Leonardo (No. 11). Very fast and agile. Another scoring forward, Aleksandar Mitrovich (No. 9), has not been seen in the squad. Perhaps he is injured. You are aware that Neymar has returned to Brazil after leaving the club.

Who is the head coach?

"Al Hilal" has been managed by Portuguese specialist Jorge Jesus for a year and a half. This coach turned 70 last year. By the way, this coach managed "Al Hilal" in the middle of 2018. Later, he worked at clubs like "Flamengo," "Benfica," and "Fenerbahce," and returned to "Al Hilal."

Jorge Jesus has won the Saudi championship once with "Al Hilal." He has also won the King Cup once and the Super Cup three times.

In conclusion

"Al Hilal" is a strong opponent, but currently, they can play against any team. It all depends on choosing the right tactics, strong desire, and enthusiasm. "Al Hilal" also has weaknesses. For example, the team cannot defend well in set pieces. And based on the last matches, they are mainly conceding goals from set pieces. Especially when the ball is sent in the air, their defenders act very unevenly. "Pakhtakor" can benefit from set pieces.

"Al Hilal" conceded 7 goals in matches against two strong opponents. This means that the defensive work is not in order at all. Moreover, the team shows signs of fatigue, which will benefit "Pakhtakor." "Pakhtakor" has missed football and official matches and can take advantage of this to play freely against the current "Al Hilal." The names in the opponent's squad may look "terrifying," but they run on the field.