DOHA (Qatar): Qatar’s Al Duhail and Al Sadd will kick off their 2019-20 AFC Champions League campaigns on Tuesday.
A repeat of the 2018 AFC Champions League quarterfinal between Al Duhail and Persepolis gets Group C underway as the two heavyweights clash here on Tuesday.
In another match, 2011 champions Al Sadd take on Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr in Riyadh in Group D.
Al Nassr (KSA) v Al Sadd SC (QAT)
Venue: Faisal bin Fahd Stadium, Riyadh
Kick-off: February 11, 18:15 UTC+3
The Riyadh match, meanwhile, is a repeat of last year’s quarterfinal first leg when Al Nassr won 2-1, but it was ultimately the reigning Qatar Stars League champions who advanced after recording a 3-1 victory in the return leg in Doha to reach the semifinals.
Two years ago, it was Persepolis who triumphed, going all the way to the final before losing to Kashima Antlers. But with several changes to both sides, including at the managerial level, there will be a fresh feel to this high-profile encounter.
In other Group C matches, UAE Pro League champions Sharjah return to continental action for the first time since 2004, having withdrawn from the 2011 edition. In their sole AFC Champions League participation, Sharjah topped their group before being knocked out by Seongnam FC in the quarter-finals.
Sharjah get their 2020 campaign started at home against another rising power in West Asian football; Al Taawoun return to the AFC Champions League as Saudi King’s Cup winners, having first appeared in the competition in 2017 after finishing fourth in the league the previous season. Their only previous continental adventure ended in a third-place finish and a group stage exit.
Al Duhail SC (QAT) v Persepolis FC (IRN)
Venue: Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium, Doha
Kick-off: February 11, 18:15 UTC+3
