February is usually a time when the Asian F to a calendar change, the 16 teams remaining have been preparing instead for the second round that kicked off in mid-February.
Champions League gets going but not in 2024 as, due The question before the group stage started back in September was whether anyone could stop the big-spending teams from Saudi Arabia.
So far, the answer is no, with all four sides from the kingdom making it through. Three AI Ittihad, AI Hilal and AI Nassr topped their groups with the help of their megastars, while AI Fayha, not one of the big-spending sides backed by the Public Investment Fund, squeezed through as the fourth of the four best performing second-placed teams.
The latter were drawn with AI Nassr in an all-Saudi tie. It is hard to know what kind of form the teams will be in due to the Asian Cup, there were no Saudi Pro League games from the end of December to February - but
AI Fayha lost their last five league games before the break and dropped down to 14th in the 18-team league, just two points above the relegation zone. With little involvement in the Asian Cup, their players have at least been able to rest and train. But facing AI Nassr, with Cristiano Ronaldo keen to add the Asian Champions League to his five European titles, is going to be tough.
This story is from the March 2024 edition of World Soccer.
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This story is from the March 2024 edition of World Soccer.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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