State Of Play: The RSL clubs tackling the AFC Champions League knockouts

The 2023-24 AFC Champions League winds back into action this week, with its first knockout round split across two legs, and the Roshn Saudi League is very well represented.

In fact, RSL clubs make up half of the teams on the West Asian side of the last 16. 

Here we look at what lies ahead for the Saudi Arabian sides, who are aiming to underline the league’s rapid development by going deep in the continent’s chief club competition.

Al Fayha v Al Nassr (February 14 and 21)

The all-RSL tie at least guarantees one Saudi top-flight side will progress to the quarter-finals, with Al Fayha excelling on tournament debut by qualifying for the knockouts. They did so as one of the best three second-placed teams of the West Asian group stage.

Nassr, meanwhile, had to come through a play-off last August to take their place in the groups, but cruised through that unbeaten, winning four matches and drawing two to top the pool. In their past two appearances in the Champions League, the Riyadh club has reached the semi-finals.

Al Fayha, who booked their berth in the competition courtesy of winning the 2021-22 King’s Cup, will play the first leg at home, and will be hoping for a better result than when they hosted Al Nassr in the RSL in October. The visitors won 3-1, with Anderson Talisca scoring twice.

Intriguingly, Al Fayha are one of only two RSL sides that Al Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo is yet to score against.

Al Ittihad v Navbahor (February 15 and 22)

RSL champions Al Ittihad have been drawn against the runners-up of the 2022 Uzbekistan Super League. Making their 12th appearance in the competition, the Jeddah club are one of two Saudi winners of the trophy, with their title successes coming in 2004 and 2005.

Indeed, Al Ittihad became the first club in the Champions’ League current guise to successfully defend the crown. They were also runners-up in 2009. This year, Al Ittihad breezed into the Round of 16, winning five of their six Group C matches to finish top.

In Navbahor, they meet the team who had to navigate a play-off to reach the tournament proper, before then coming home second in Group D to Al Hilal. Navbahor won four of their six matches, losing only once – at home to their Saudi opponents.

That 2-0 defeat to Al Hilal, coming on Navbahor's own patch, should give Al Ittihad cause for optimism: they contest the first leg in Namangan.

Al Hilal v Sepahan (February 15 and 22)

The Riyadh club are synonymous with Champions League success, with a record four titles and an incredible nine final appearances in all. In 2019, Al Hilal ended almost two decades without the trophy, then two years later added a fourth continental crown. They were beaten finalists last May.

Like compatriots Al Nassr and Al Ittihad, Al Hilal were simply superb in the group stage, triumphing in five of their games and drawing the other to advance as pool winners.

Jorge Jesus’ side have, though, been handed a tricky last-16 tie, with Sepahan always a sturdy opponent, especially on home soil in Isfahan. 

On their way to finishing second in their group to Al Ittihad, the Iranian outfit recorded the result of this year’s competition: a 9-0 home win against Uzbekistan’s FC AGMK. Sepahan host Al Hilal in the first leg. Making a 14th appearance in the Champions League, they were beaten finalists in 2007.

One standout stat heading into the tie: of Al Hilal’s 16 goals so far, 10 have been created by their full-backs.