Saudi Pro League giants Al-Nassr will lock horns with Iraqi football club Al-Shorta in their AFC Champions League Elite 2024-25 opener at the Al-Madina Stadium in Baghdad, Iraq on Monday, September 16.
The Al-Nassr vs Al-Shorta, AFC Champions League Elite 2024-25 match will start at 9:30 PM IST. Live streaming of the match will be available in India.
The AFC Champions League Elite 2024-25 is the 43rd edition of Asia's premier club football tournament.
Organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), the revamped AFC Champions League Elite will see as many as 24 teams compete in the inaugural edition of the competition.
As per the AFC Champions League Elite 2024-25 format, these 24 teams have been divided into 12-team leagues in East and West Asia, with each team playing eight games against different opponents after a computer-assisted draw in the brand new league phase.
The top eight teams from each region will advance to the Round of 16. The final stage of the AFC Champions League Elite 2024-25 will be played in Saudi Arabia from April 25 to May 4.
The winner of the inaugural AFC Champions League Elite will qualify for the FIFA Intercontinental Cup 2025 and FIFA Club World Cup.
Furthermore, the AFC Champions League Elite winner will enter the league stage of the AFC Champions League Elite 2025-25, if they have not already qualified through domestic performance.
Under manager Luis Castro, Al-Nassr will aim to bounce back after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Al-Ahli Saudi FC in the Saudi Pro League 2024-25 on Friday.
With one win and two draws, Al-Nassr are currently placed sixth in the Saudi Pro League 2024-25 standings with five points from three games.
On the other hand, Al-Shorta will head into the game brimming with confidence after they clinched the Iraq Stars League for the third season in a row in July.
With 87 points from 38 matches, Al-Shorta finished five points clear of second-placed Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya to bag the league title for the seventh time.
Al-Nassr vs Al-Shorta head-to-head record
The Al-Nassr vs Al-Shorta head-to-head record favours the Saudi Arabian club. Al-Nassr beat Al-Shorta 1-0 in their only meeting in the Arab Club Champions Cup 2023 semi-final in August 2023.
Al-Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo converted a penalty in the 75th minute to help his side defeat Al-Shorta in the crucial semi-final encounter at the Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Stadium in Abha, Saudi Arabia.
Where to watch Al-Nassr vs Al-Shorta AFC Champions League Elite 2024-25 live in India
Live streaming of the Al-Nassr vs Al-Shorta AFC Champions League Elite 2024-25 will be available on the FanCode app and website.
There will be no live telecast of the Al-Nassr vs Al-Shorta AFC Champions League Elite 2024-25 match on any TV channel in India.
Photo credit: Imago
