UAE club Al Ain will defend their continental title against Qatar's Al Sadd on Monday, marking the beginning of a new, more competitive era in regional club football with the revamped Asian Champions League Elite. Under the guidance of Hernan Crespo, Al Ain is eager to start strong against Al Sadd, despite the UAE domestic season still in its early stages. While Al Ain has collected four points from their first two matches, they face a historical challenge as they have not won against Qatari sides in their last six continental encounters.
Al Sadd, on the other hand, enters the match following a 3-1 loss to Umm Salal in the Qatar Stars League, their second defeat in four games. The reigning Qatar champions have also struggled in their recent continental openers, with their last five such matches resulting in four draws and one loss. Al Ain's victory over Yokohama F Marinos in May, under the previous competition format, highlights their potential in the new edition, which now features a reduced field of 24 teams and a tripled prize of $12 million.
The traditional group phase, used since 2002, has been replaced by a Swiss League system, dividing clubs into 12-team east and west Asian leagues. Each league will play eight group games starting from Monday, continuing until early February. The top eight teams from each league will advance to the knockout rounds in March, leading to a centralized phase in Saudi Arabia for the quarterfinals, semifinals, and final on May 4.
Last year, Al Ain defied expectations to win the competition, overcoming high-spending Saudi clubs like Al-Nassr and Al Hilal, both of which they will face again in the 2024-25 edition. Alongside these, they will also meet Al Ahli, Al Gharafa, Al Rayyan, Pakhtakor, and Al Shorta. Al Ain's chances of retaining the title have been bolstered by the retention of Moroccan striker Soufiane Rahimi, whose 13 goals were crucial to their success last season.
In the eastern half of the draw, Yokohama F Marinos, who Al Ain defeated in the final, begin their campaign against South Korea's Gwangju FC on Tuesday. The Japanese team, now under interim coach John Hutchinson after parting ways with Harry Kewell in July, will aim to improve on their recent poor form. The eastern draw also includes former champions Ulsan HD and Pohang Steelers, as well as Chinese clubs Shanghai Port, Shanghai Shenhua, and Shandong Taishan, and Japanese champions Vissel Kobe.
