Al Ain advanced strongly, and Riyadh Crescent came to a halt
In a key matchup in the semi-finals of the AFC Champions League, Team Ain defeated the strong Riyadh Crescent with a score of 4-2 and successfully advanced to the final. In this game, the Al Ain team showed their excellent defensive counter-attacking ability, and firmly grasped the initiative of the game through accurate steals and efficient offensive conversion rates.
Just six minutes into the game, Al Ain took the lead with a delicate combination. Nadir made a successful tackle in midfield and quickly passed the ball to the well-placed Rahimi, who lived up to expectations and opened the scoring for Al Ain by slotting the ball into the Crescent goal. This goal not only disrupted the pre-match deployment of the Crescent team, but also set the tone for the Al Ain team for this game.
Although Riyadh Crescent gradually regained possession of the ball in the following games, they struggled to create any real chances against Al Ain's tight defence. On the contrary, it was the Ain team, on the basis of a solid defense, who constantly threatened the Crescent team's goal through counterattacks. Just before half-time, Rahimi stepped up again, creating a penalty and slotting home himself to make it 3-0 and almost seal the win for Al Ain.
In the second half, although the Riyadh Crescent launched a fierce counterattack and pulled a point back with Milinkovic's assist for Malcom's goal, the Al Ain team soon widened the gap to three goals again through Kaku's goal. Although Al-Dosari scored another goal for Crescent late in the game, Al Ain won the game with a score of 4-2.
Al Ain's tactics were clear and efficient, with a focus on counter-attacking and creating attacking chances with the ball behind them. The Riyadh Crescent, on the other hand, had the advantage in possession, but they struggled to open up the situation in the face of the Al Ain's dense defense.
Ulsan HD made a thrilling cut, and the Yokohama Mariners were unfortunately out
In the other semi-final, Ulsan HD narrowly defeated Yokohama Mariner with a score of 1-0 and also advanced to the final. The game was equally exciting, with players from both sides engaged in a fierce battle on the field.
Soon after the start of the game, Ulsan HD scored with a low cross from the left and Lee Dong-woo pushed it to score and take a valuable lead. The Yokohama Mariners did not panic after conceding the goal, and they tried to equalize by constantly adjusting their form. Mate and Lopes threatened the Ulsan goal in succession, but they were never able to convert it into a goal.
In the second half, Ulsan HD continued to press, and Choo Min-gyu shot multiple times, but failed to extend the score. Yokohama Mariners were also trying to find a chance, with Mateus having a close-range chance but unfortunately his shot went over the crossbar and missed his best chance to equalise.
In the end, Ulsan HD kept the score 1-0 until the final whistle and they managed to advance to the final, while Yokohama Mariner was sadly eliminated. In this game, Ulsan HD's side-to-center combination tactics played a huge role, and they managed to take advantage of the limited attacking opportunities. And the Yokohama Marinos, although they kept adjusting in the game, were unable to change the score in the end.
Overall, both semi-finals were full of suspense and competitiveness, with all four teams showing a high level of technical and tactical ability and competitive form. The advancement of Al Ain and Ulsan HD is undoubtedly the best recognition of their hard work and strength, while the exits of Riyadh Crescent and Yokohama Mariners are also regrettable. We look forward to an even more exciting matchup between Al Ain and Ulsan HD in the finals.