AFC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMI-FINALS 1ST LEG PREVIEW

Guangzhou: Coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has called on Guangzhou Evergrande to fully utilise home advantage in Wednesday’s AFC Champions League semi-final first leg against fellow former champions Gamba Osaka at Tianhe Sport Centre to ensure the Chinese champions go into the return fixture in Japan in three weeks’ time on the front foot.

Guangzhou are seeking a return to the final of the tournament where they made history in 2013 by becoming the first Chinese team to lift the continental title in 23 years after edging out Korea Republic’s FC Seoul on away goals and are unbeaten in all competitions since the end of May having defeated another J.League side, Kashiwa Reysol, in the quarter-finals a fortnight ago.

Opponents Gamba, though, have hosted the second leg in each of their last two knockout ties and secured victories over finalists FC Seoul and 2006 winners Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors to return to the final four for the first time since claiming the 2008 title.

“Every second on the field is going to be important in the game on Wednesday,” said FIFA World Cup-winning coach Scolari, who saw Guangzhou record a 3-2 win over Guizhou Renhe in the Chinese Super League on Saturday.

“We have to try to avoid conceding a goal and ensure we play the second leg with a larger advantage. Gamba are a tough team, their manager Kenta Hasegawa has his own style, and anything can happen in football.

“The team has confidence, though, and the mood amongst the players is great. We are determined not to let our fans down in the coming match.”

September 29, 2015: Al Hilal v Al Ahli
September 30, 2015: Gangzhou Evergrande v Gamba Osaka

October 20, 2015: AL Ahli v Al Hilal
October 21. 2015: Gamba Osaka v Guangzhou Evergrande

Hasegawa’s Gamba side, who extended their own unbeaten record to nine games with  a 3-1 win over against Kashiwa on Saturday, are boosted by the return of Takashi Usami from suspension after the striker missed the quarter-final second leg due to suspension.

“Takashi for sure will play, and will play well, and we also had lots of great performances from the team that played against Jeonbuk in the quarter-final second leg,” said Hasegawa with Japan international Usami having scored four goals in the AFC Champions League this season.

“We know Guangzhou is strong and a team with great quality. There are many talented players, with the Chinese players in particular playing with confidence and are at the national team level.

“However, we intend to play our ‘Gamba Style’ and try our best to advance to the final.

“Since we reached the knockout stage, we have had every second leg at home. For us, this is proving to be a good schedule.”

Gamba centre-back Daiki Niwa, though, will miss Wednesday’s tie due to suspension following his second yellow of the knockout stage received in the quarter-final second leg.

In Tuesday’s semi-final, two-time Asian champions Al Hilal from Saudi Arabia entertain Al Ahli from the United Arab Emirates at Riyadh’s King Fahd International Stadium with both sides entering the tie in fine form having collected maximum points from their opening fixtures in their respective domestic championships.

Al Hilal have picked up three consecutive wins and are the early frontrunners in the Saudi Pro League, with Greek coach Giorgos Donis seeing his side’s most recent fixture ending in a 1-0 victory against Al Raed shortly after their 2-2 draw with Qatar’s Lekhwiya in their quarter-final second leg.

Meanwhile, Cosmin Olaroiu’s Al Ahli have taken maximum points from their first two domestic ties that included an 8-1 win over Al Fujairah in the opening round and a narrow 2-1 win over Al Dhafra in Dubai after beating Iran’s Naft Tehran by the same scoreline in their quarter-final second leg.

“I know them, they know me. We have a special relationship, but the game is the game,” said Romanian Olaroiu, who took over at Al Ahli in July 2013 after spells at Al Ain of the UAE and in Qatar with Al Sadd that followed his departure from Al Hilal in 2009.

“They have the pressure of the public and they have a lot of supporters. When you play in the league or the Champions League, psychology is important and, it is just as important as the physical side and it’s part of our job and we have to take this into consideration. At this point in the competition nobody is superior to anybody. Whoever performs better in the match will qualify for the final.”

Following the first leg tie, the pair will meet three weeks later at Dubai’s Rashed Stadium for the right to host the first leg of the final against either Guangzhou or Gamba on 7 November.