Saudi club Al-Ahli is preparing for a tough away match against Qatar’s Al-Duhail on Monday evening, September 28, 2025, in the second round of the group stage of the AFC Champions League Elite.

Al-Ahli, the defending champions, started their Asian campaign with a convincing 4-2 win over Uzbekistan’s Nasaf. Meanwhile, Al-Duhail lost their opening match against Saudi club Al-Hilal by 2-1.

The opening round results give Al-Ahli a psychological edge before today’s match, while Al-Duhail aims to bounce back and avoid an early setback in the group.

Al-Ahli enters this match after regaining balance domestically, having beaten Al-Hazm 2-0 in the Saudi league following a previous loss to Egypt’s Pyramids in the Intercontinental Cup. The team appears mentally and technically prepared and aims for a second Asian victory to strengthen their chances of early qualification.

The match will be held at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium at 9:15 PM Egypt and Saudi time. The broadcast channel is “beIN Sports 1 HD”.

With the new tournament format featuring 8 matches per team in the group stage, clubs aim to secure early qualification. A second win for Al-Ahli would be a significant step toward the round of 16, while the match represents an almost last chance for Al-Duhail to remain competitive in the West group.

The 2025-2026 AFC Champions League is played under a new, more competitive format as follows:

    • 24 teams compete in the group stage (12 from West Asia, 12 from East Asia).
    • Each team plays 8 matches (4 home and 4 away) against 8 different opponents.
    • 8 teams from each region qualify for the round of 16, played over two legs.
    • From the quarterfinals onward, the tournament is played as single knockout matches in one country, which is Saudi Arabia this season.

    Other matches today:

    • Nasaf Qarshi vs Al-Hilal at 4:45 PM Egypt and Saudi time, broadcast on “beIN Sports 1 HD”.
    • Tractor vs Al-Wahda at 7:00 PM Egypt and Saudi time, broadcast on “beIN Sports 2 HD”.
    • Al-Gharafa vs Al-Shorta at 7:00 PM Egypt and Saudi time, broadcast on “beIN Sports 1 HD”.
    • Al-Duhail vs Al-Ahli Jeddah at 9:15 PM Egypt and Saudi time, broadcast on “beIN Sports 1 HD”.