Tonight is the big night Saudi Arabia and Asia are waiting for. It is the second leg of the semifinals of the Asian Champions League and Ahli faces Ittihad here in Jeddah.

As most of you know, Ittihad won the first leg 1-0 and now has a much better chance of winning again since it didn't surrender any goal to the visiting team. It’s better to stay clear from any goal in your hometown because it gives you a bigger edge in the second leg, and that is why Ittihad always handles these kinds of matches better.

Ahli is considerably a good team as well, but unfortunately the team lost too much of its strength, especially the strikers and midfielders. Football is very unpredictable that players must not depend on the previous match's result. They can't assume that the opposing team will maintain the same game plan. Ahli's defenders must be in full alert, any goal from Ittihad now will kill any hopes of winning. Their mission may look tougher but there is hope. The team can still get back on track. After all, they only lost 0-1, but then again,if we would base it from past experiences in Saudi competitions, its rare for a team who loses the first leg to win the second match.

Ittihad looks ready than at any time to reach the finals. It has a good manager too whom I think knows how to run the team and with their very good players, this team will give Ittihad something to worry about. My money is on them. I look forward to an exciting match that will take our breaths away.

In the end, whoever reaches the finals must be prepared to meet a very tough team. Ulsan Hyundai of Korea is the currently the best team in the competition. It doesn't help that the final match will be held in Korea. Needless to say, it won't be a picnic. I hope that the winning Saudi team will be deserving and ready to beat Ulsan.

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