Al Wasl to face Al Sadd in the AFC Champions League Round of 16
Qualification for the round of 16
Al Wasl qualified for the round of 16 by finishing fifth in the league stage of the continental tournament, which follows a new system this year. Al Sadd, on the other hand, qualified by finishing fourth. A total of 12 teams from the Western Region competed, with the top 8 advancing to the round of 16.
Saudi clubs lead the round of 16
Saudi clubs dominate the matches in this round, with Al Hilal, Al Ahli, and Al Nasr all qualifying, along with Al Rayyan of Qatar, Esteghlal of Iran, and Pakhtakor of Uzbekistan.
Al Wasl aims to repeat victory over Al Sadd
Al Wasl will be looking to repeat their success over Al Sadd earlier this year, when they won 1-0 in the UAE-Qatar Super Cup held in Doha. The two teams also played to a 1-1 draw in the AFC Champions League for Elite at Al Wasl Stadium.
Al Wasl's performance this season
While Al Wasl has struggled in the UAE League this season, sitting in sixth place with 27 points, Al Sadd is in second place in the Qatari League with 37 points, just one point behind leaders Al Duhail. Al Wasl will be looking to improve its results and performance in this high-stakes competition.
Other round of 16 matches
In addition to the Al Wasl vs. Al Sadd match, the first leg of the round of 16 will feature the following games:
Esteghlal Tehran vs. Al Nassr (Saudi Arabia)
Pakhtakor (Uzbekistan) vs. Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
Al Rayyan (Qatar) vs. Al Ahli (Saudi Arabia)
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