TOKYO — When Al Hilal last year became the first club from Saudi Arabia to win the Asian Champions League since 2005, they not only ended their nation’s 14-year title drought, they reignited their rivalry with cross-Riyadh rivals Al Nassr. The manner in which it was achieved has increased expectation of further success for teams from the Gulf region. “We’ve got a really good team,” said Al Nassr midfielder Mukhtar Ali, a graduate of Chelsea’s academy currently on loan from Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem. “When the Champions League starts again, we start from the beginning and try to win it. The league, the cup and the Champions League.”Al Nassr bring a strong pedigree into the competition, having won the Saudi league title last season.

Source: National Post February 08, 2020 05:15 UTC