The Asian Champions League officially kicked off its league stage with some intense matchups, and Paulo Sousa’s Shabab Al Ahli club from the UAE found themselves in a tight spot right away. Playing at home this Tuesday, they drew 1-1 against Iran’s Tractor in their first game of the competition. It was a proper taste of the continental challenge.
This match, held in Dubai, saw plenty of action. Tractor’s Tomislav Strkalj, a striker who used to play for Rio Ave and Tondela, got the first goal just 14 minutes in. Shabab Al Ahli pushed back, and Guilherme Bala, who has both Brazilian and Emirati nationality, netted the equalizer for the home side in the 65th minute. Before that, though, Tractor’s Domagoj Drozdek was sent off in the 51st minute, leaving his team with ten men.
This draw means Shabab Al Ahli and Tractor join Qatar’s Al-Sadd and Iraq’s Al Shorta with one point each in the West Zone of Asia’s top club competition. Leading the pack are the current champions, Al Ahli, along with Sharjah, Al Hilal, and Al Wahda. José Morais, another Portuguese coach, saw his Al Wahda team secure a 2-1 home win against Al Ittihad on Monday.
Speaking of big names, Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal, who hold the record with four titles (1991, 1999/00, 2019, and 2021), pulled off a 2-1 comeback victory at home against Qatar’s Al Duhail. Portuguese international stars Rúben Neves and João Cancelo both started for Al Hilal. Unfortunately, Cancelo had to leave the field injured after just 40 minutes, a real blow for his team.
Over in the East Zone, where the first round began today and wraps up on Wednesday, we also saw some drama. Midfielder João Carlos Teixeira scored a goal for his Chinese club, Shanghai Shenhua, but it wasn’t enough to prevent a 2-1 defeat to South Korea’s Gangwon after a comeback from the home side.
Just like last season, the Asian Champions League is using a league phase instead of the old group stage format. Each of the 24 participating teams will play eight different opponents. The top eight teams from both the West and East zones will then move on to the round of 16.
Asian Champions League 2 Kicks Off
The continent’s second-tier competition, the Asian Champions League 2, also got underway. This tournament divides 32 clubs into eight groups across two zones. The main round started with two games, including a home victory for Jordan’s Al Hussein, coached by Quim Machado, who beat Iran’s Sepahan 1-0 in Group C.
The Asian Champions League 2 is a hotbed for Portuguese coaching talent, featuring four more Portuguese managers. Here’s a look at their upcoming fixtures:
- LuÃs Castro’s Al Wasl (UAE) will face off against Ricardo Sá Pinto’s Esteghlal (Iran) on Wednesday.
- Nandinho’s Al Muharraq (Bahrain) will host Kuwait’s Al Wehdat.
- Jorge Jesus leads Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr, which boasts Cristiano Ronaldo and João Félix in its squad. They will host Tajikistan’s Istiklol.
It’s clear that Portuguese coaches and players are making a significant impact across Asian football, with matches heating up across both top club competitions.