2021 AFC Champions League final
Event2021 AFC Champions League
Al-Hilal Pohang Steelers
2 0
Date23 November 2021 (2021-11-23)
VenueKing Fahd International Stadium, Riyadh
Man of the MatchMoussa Marega (Al-Hilal)
RefereeMohammed Abdulla Hassan Mohamed (United Arab Emirates)[1]
Attendance50,171
WeatherClear
25 °C (77 °F)
47% humidity

The 2021 AFC Champions League final was the final of the 2021 AFC Champions League, the 40th edition of the top-level Asian club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 19th under the current AFC Champions League title.

The final was contested as a single match between Al-Hilal from Saudi Arabia and Pohang Steelers from South Korea. Prior to the match, both teams were joint most successful teams in the AFC Champions League, with three titles each. Al-Hilal won the match 2–0 and clinched their fourth title, becoming the outright most successful team in the history of the competition. They also qualified for the 2021 FIFA Club World Cup in the United Arab Emirates.

Teams

In the following table, the finals until 2002 were in the Asian Club Championship era, and since 2003 in the AFC Champions League era.

Team Region Previous finals appearances (bold indicates winners)
Saudi Arabia Al-Hilal West Region (Zone: WAFF) 7 (1986,[A] 1987,[B] 1991, 2000, 2014, 2017, 2019)
South Korea Pohang Steelers East Region (Zone: EAFF) 3 (1997, 1998, 2009)
Notes
  1. ^
    The 1986 final was played in a four-team round-robin format, with Al-Hilal finishing as runners-up.
  2. ^
    Al-Hilal were unable to participate in the 1987 final and were declared runners-up.

Venue

On 20 October 2021, the AFC announced that Mrsool Park would host the final. It was later changed to King Fahd International Stadium, also in Riyadh.

Road to the final

Note: In all results below, the score of the finalist is given first (H: home; A: away; *: played in centralized group locations).

Saudi Arabia Al-Hilal Round South Korea Pohang Steelers
Opponent Result Group stage Opponent Result
Uzbekistan AGMK 2–2* Matchday 1 Thailand Ratchaburi Mitr Phol 2–0*
United Arab Emirates Shabab Al-Ahli 2–0* Matchday 2 Japan Nagoya Grampus 0–3*
Tajikistan Istiklol 3–1* Matchday 3 Malaysia Johor Darul Ta'zim 4–1*
Tajikistan Istiklol 1–4* Matchday 4 Malaysia Johor Darul Ta'zim 2–0*
Uzbekistan AGMK 3–0* Matchday 5 Thailand Ratchaburi Mitr Phol 0–0*
United Arab Emirates Shabab Al-Ahli 0–2* Matchday 6 Japan Nagoya Grampus 1–1*
Group A runners-up
Pos Team Pld Pts
1 Tajikistan Istiklol 6 10
2 Saudi Arabia Al-Hilal (H) 6 10
3 United Arab Emirates Shabab Al-Ahli 6 7
4 Uzbekistan AGMK 6 7
Source: AFC
(H) Hosts
 Final standings Group G runners-up
Pos Team Pld Pts
1 Japan Nagoya Grampus 6 16
2 South Korea Pohang Steelers 6 11
3 Malaysia Johor Darul Ta'zim 6 4
4 Thailand Ratchaburi Mitr Phol (H) 6 2
Source: AFC
(H) Hosts
Opponent Result Knockout stage Opponent Result
Iran Esteghlal 2–0 (A) Round of 16 Japan Cerezo Osaka 1–0 (A)
Iran Persepolis 3–0 (H) Quarter-finals Japan Nagoya Grampus 3–0 (H)
Saudi Arabia Al-Nassr 2–1 (A) Semi-finals South Korea Ulsan Hyundai 1–1 (a.e.t.) (5–4 p) (A)

Format

The final was played as a single match. If tied after regulation time, extra time and, if necessary, a penalty shoot-out would have been used to decide the winning team.[2]

Match

Al-Hilal Saudi Arabia2–0South Korea Pohang Steelers
  • N. Al-Dawsari 1'
  • Marega 63'
 Live Report
Stats Report
Attendance: 50,171
Al-Hilal
Pohang Steelers
GK1Saudi Arabia Abdullah Al-Mayouf
RB2Saudi Arabia Mohammed Al-Breik
CB20South Korea Jang Hyun-soo
CB32Saudi Arabia Muteb Al-Mufarrij
LB16Saudi Arabia Nasser Al-Dawsari
CM7Saudi Arabia Salman Al-Faraj (c)
CM28Saudi Arabia Mohamed KannoYellow card 83'downward-facing red arrow 90+4'
RW17Mali Moussa MaregaYellow card 26'
AM15Brazil Matheus PereiraYellow card 84'
LW29Saudi Arabia Salem Al-Dawsari
CF18France Bafétimbi Gomisdownward-facing red arrow 85'
Substitutes:
GK31Saudi Arabia Habib Al-Wotayan
GK33Saudi Arabia Abdullah Al-Jadaani
DF12Saudi Arabia Yasser Al-Shahraniupward-facing green arrow 85'
DF23Saudi Arabia Madallah Al-Olayan
DF70Saudi Arabia Mohammed Jahfaliupward-facing green arrow 90+4'
MF43Saudi Arabia Musab Al-Juwayr
MF56Saudi Arabia Mohammed Al-Qahtani
MF88Saudi Arabia Hamad Al-Yami
FW11Saudi Arabia Saleh Al-Shehri
FW14Saudi Arabia Abdullah Al-Hamdan
Manager:
Portugal Leonardo Jardim
GK21South Korea Lee Jun
RB32South Korea Park Seung-wook
CB13South Korea Gwon Wan-gyuYellow card 42'
CB2Australia Alex GrantYellow card 20'
LB10South Korea Kang Sang-woo (c)
CM17South Korea Shin Kwang-hoon
CM57South Korea Lee Soo-bindownward-facing red arrow 46'
RW8Bosnia and Herzegovina Mario Kvesićdownward-facing red arrow 46'
AM6South Korea Sin Jin-ho
LW77South Korea Lim Sang-hyubYellow card 67'
CF82Colombia Manuel Palacios
Substitutes:
GK41South Korea Cho Sung-hoon
DF3South Korea Lee Kwang-jun
DF4South Korea Jeon Min-gwangYellow card 53'upward-facing green arrow 46'
DF30South Korea Kim Ryun-seong
MF14South Korea Oh Beom-seok
MF37South Korea Kim Ho-nam
MF38South Korea Kim Jin-hyun
MF79South Korea Go Young-joonupward-facing green arrow 46'downward-facing red arrow 81'
FW20South Korea Lee Ho-jaeupward-facing green arrow 81'
FW25South Korea Kim Seong-ju
Manager:
South Korea Kim Gi-dong

Man of the Match:
Moussa Marega (Al-Hilal)

Assistant referees:[1]
Mohamed Al-Hammadi (United Arab Emirates)
Hasan Al-Mahri (United Arab Emirates)
Fourth official:[1]
Adel Al-Naqbi (United Arab Emirates)
Video assistant referee:[1]
Ammar Al-Jeneibi (United Arab Emirates)
Assistant video assistant referees:[1]
Omar Mohamed Al-Ali (United Arab Emirates)
Hanna Hattab (Syria)

Match rules[2]

  • 90 minutes.
  • 30 minutes of extra time if tied.
  • Penalty shoot-out if still tied after extra time.
  • Ten named substitutes, of which up to five may be used, with a sixth allowed in extra time.[note 1]

Notes

  1. ↑ Each team was only given three opportunities to make substitutions, with a fourth opportunity in extra time, excluding substitutions made at half-time, before the start of extra time and at half-time in extra time.

    References

    1. 1 2 3 4 5 "طاقم دولي إماراتي يُدير نهائي دوري أبطال آسيا 2021" (in Arabic). UAE Football Confederation. 29 October 2021.
    2. 1 2 "AFC Champions League 2021 Competition Regulations" (PDF). the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation.
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