FACTBOX


* The AFC Champions League is Asia’s premier club competition. This year’s winners will represent Asia in the 2014 FIFA Club World Championship in Morocco.

* The first leg will be played in Australia on Oct. 25 with the second leg in Saudi Arabia on Nov. 1.

* The AFC Champions League is the latest in a series of Asian club competitions dating back to 1967. The tournament was abandoned in 1972 but was resurrected in 1986 as the Asian Club Championship.

* In 2002, the Asian Club Championship was merged with the Asian Cup Winners Cup to form the AFC Champions League.

* Twenty-two different clubs have won the title since 1967. South Korea’s Pohang Steelers have won a record three titles. Eight other teams have won twice.

* South Korea have been the most successful country in the competition, providing the winner 10 times, followed by Japan (five) and Saudi Arabia (four).

* Al-Hilal have won two of Saudi Arabia’s four titles. Western Sydney Wanderers are bidding to become the first Australian winners.

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Western Sydney Wanderers (Australia)

Founded: 2012

Head coach: Tony Popovic

Stadium: Parramatta Stadium, Sydney

Asian Champions League titles: None

Path to the final: Finished top of Group H in the group stage; beat Sanfrecce Hiroshima (Japan) on away goals in the Round of 16; beat Guangzhou Evergrande (China) on away goals in the quarter-finals; beat FC Seoul (South Korea) 2-0 on aggregate in the semifinals

Top scorer in the competition: Labinot Haliti (3 goals)

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Al-Hilal (Saudi Arabia)

Founded: 1957

Manager: Laurentiu Reghecampf

Stadium: King Fahd Stadium, Riyadh

Asian Champions League titles: 2 (1991, 2000)

Path to the final: Finished top of Group D in the group stage; beat FC Bunyodkor (Uzbekistan) 4-0 on aggregate in the Round of 16; beat Al-Saad (Qatar) 1-0 on aggregate in the quarter-finals; beat Al-Ain (United Arab Emirates) 4-2 on aggregate in the semifinals

Top scorer in the competition: Nasser Al-Shamrani (10 goals)