Urawa Red Diamonds are looking to build on the fatigue of South Korea’s Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors and reach the final of the AFC Champions League when they meet in Saitama, Japan on Thursday.

Urawa, the 2007 and 2017 champion, has scored 15 goals in his last three matches in all competitions, the last of which was during his 4-0 victory over Pathum United of Thailand on Monday in the quarter-finals, and before that over ” Johor Darul”. Tazeem from Malaysia 5-0 in the final price.

Urawa will count on the support of the spectators at Saitama Stadium, where all of the Eastern Zone playoffs were held in the Japanese city on a one-match basis.

“We will attack them before they have a chance to attack us,” midfielder Takahiro Sekini said. “I’m looking forward to the game and I’m not going to lose. We’ll give everything we have.”

The two teams have met six times in continental competitions, with Jeonbuk’s most recent victory in the group stage in 2019. However, Urawa scored in the only meeting that brought them to the play-offs, in the 2007 quarter-finals, when he eliminated the defending champion en route to winning the cup.

Spanish coach Ricardo Rodriguez expressed his satisfaction with his team’s performance, warning of the danger of the opposition: “Korean teams are playing with great motivation against Japanese teams, but we will also play with great motivation. We are the only Japanese team left in this tournament. so we represent Japan.”

For his part, Jeonbuk is coming out tired after needing an extension in his last two matches to overcome Japan’s Wissel Kobe 3-1 in the quarter-finals and his compatriot Daegu FC 2-1 in last week’s round of 16.

Coach Kim Sang Sik said: “It was a tough situation and I appreciate the players even though they are tired and have some physical problems. We played two games with an extension so the players are very tired and they will have physical problems.” force.” , but we have one soul and one mind to get through this “match and win” and reach the final scheduled for February 2023.

Urawa will rely on the strength of his defense after managing to keep clean sheets in his last five Champions League matches this year for the first time in tournament history.

It is noteworthy that the Western matches will take place in February 2023, and the Saudi “Al-Hilal” will play with the Emirati “Al-Ahli”, the Saudi youth with the Uzbek “Nasaf”, the Qatari “Al-Duhail” with their compatriot Al-Rayyan and Saudi Al – Faisali with the Iranian Folad Khuzestan.

Saudi Al-Hilal won the title for the fourth time in their history (a record), defeating South Korea’s Pohang Steelers 2-0 last November in Riyadh.