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Al Ain will host Al-Hilal at the Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium on Tuesday in the first leg of the semifinals of the AFC Champions League 2023-24 campaign.
The home side have struggled for results in their domestic assignments of late and will hope they can find better luck on the international stage this week. They faced Al-Nassr in the quarterfinals of the competition last month, picking up a 1-0 win in the first leg and then losing 4-3 in the second before going on to win on penalties.
Al Ain last appeared at this stage of the continental showpiece back in 2016, facing El-Jaish in a two-legged tie which they won 5-3 on aggregate before going on to lose to South Korean side Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in the final.
Al-Hilal, meanwhile, have enjoyed a remarkable campaign and will be looking to carry that momentum onto the continental stage on Tuesday. They locked horns with fellow Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Ittihad in the previous round of the tournament, picking up a 4-0 aggregate victory.
The visitors are four-time winners of the AFC Champions League and have finished runner-ups on another five occasions including last year.
Al Ain vs Al-Hilal Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- There have been 13 meetings between Al Ain and Al-Hilal. The home side have won five of those games while the visitors have won one more. There have been two draws between the two teams.
- The two teams last faced off in a group-stage clash in the 2019 AFC Champions League which the visitors won 2-0.
- The hosts are without a clean sheet in their last three games in this fixture.
- Al-Hilal have the best defensive record in the Champions League this season with a goal concession tally of four.
- Al Ain are the second-highest-scoring side in the Champions League this season with a goal tally of 23.
Al Ain vs Al-Hilal Prediction
Al Ain are on a four-game winless streak after winning seven of their eight games prior. They are without a win in their last three home games and could struggle here.
Al-Hilal, meanwhile, are on an unprecedented 34-game winning streak stretching back to last September and have not lost a competitive game since last August. They are overwhelming favorites for the midweek clash and should come out on top here.
Prediction: Al Ain 1-3 Al-Hilal
Al Ain vs Al-Hilal Betting Tips
Tip 1 - Result: Al-Hilal to win
Tip 2 - Goals - Over/under 2.5 - Over 2.5 goals (Each of the visitors' last six matches have all produced more than 2.5 goals)
Tip 3 - Both teams to score: YES (Both sides have found the back of the net in five of the hosts' last six matches)
