Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds are trying to “harness the energy” in their boisterous fanatics when they host Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal in Saturday’s Asian Champions League very last 2d leg.The two aspects drew 1-1 in remaining week’s first leg in Riyadh, with protecting champions Al Hilal taking a thirteenth-minute lead thru Salem Al Dawsari earlier than Shinzo Koroki levelled for Urawa early inside the 2nd half.
Away desires still rely as a tie-breaker in Asia’s surest club opposition, and near 60,000 fanatics may be at Saitama Stadium, north of Tokyo, for the go back leg.
Goalkeeper Shusaku Nishikawa changed into part of the Urawa crew that beat Al Hilal to boost the name in 2017 and he believes the membership’s fanatics can spur them on to glory again.
“Make no mistake, the atmosphere at domestic could be superb and it’s going to allow us to play greater than we did within the first leg,” he told journalists on Tuesday.
“It’s no longer simply the gamers at the pitch – the gamers coming off the bench and people not gambling are also doing a great process.
“We need to harness the power of gambling at home,” the 36-yr-old brought.
Al Hilal may be without Al Dawsari after the megastar winger picked up a overdue pink card for kicking out at midfielder Ken Iwao in the first leg.
The teams are assembly within the very last for the 1/3 time in six years – Urawa got here out on top in 2017 however Al Hilal got revenge two years later.
The iciness World Cup in Qatar and journey headaches arising from the pandemic imply the very last is taking location almost 9 months after Urawa gained via from their semi-final.
Nishikawa said he had “goosebumps” considering the environment that awaits Saturday’s recreation but warned his crew-pals now not to get over excited with the aid of the occasion.
“Rather than considering some thing special, the undertaking is to put together for the game as regular,” he said.
Al Hilal will pose Urawa a chance even with out Al Dawsari, with former Manchester United striker Odion Ighalo set to play up the front alongside ex-Porto man Moussa Marega.
Ighalo scored 4 dreams in Al Hilal’s 7-0 semi-very last thrashing of Qatar’s Al Duhail, and Urawa midfielder Atsuki Ito is aware of the Nigerian is able to pouncing again in the very last.
“If we put together for the game wondering we are going to do it due to the fact we got a 1-1 draw and we get too some distance ahead of ourselves, we’ll get burnt,” he stated.
“Al Hilal are a strong group, so we need to be careful and make sure we do not permit that type of atmosphere.”
Ito was born in Urawa’s domestic metropolis of Saitama and remembers the club’s preceding Champions League triumphs, in 2007 and 2017.
He said the opposition is “unique” for a membership recognised for having the most important support in Japan.
“I’ve been looking it seeing that I turned into a little kid and there is a special surroundings for Champions League games,” stated the 24-year-vintage.
