First face to face as coaches

It was their first face to face as coaches and there was a lot of expectation among River Plate fans. It was especially important because they were both key figures in the club's continental conquest in 1996. Ramón Díaz, leading Al Hilal from Saudi Arabia, and Hernán Crespo, in charge of Al Duhail from Qatar, faced each other in the semifinals of the Asian Champions League, and there was practically only one team on the field.

Ramón Díaz's team showed no mercy against Crespo's weak performance and by halftime they were already winning by an incredible 5-0! Odion Ighalo scored the first two goals, then the French star Moussa Marega scored two more, and Salem Al-Dawsari, who had scored a great goal for Saudi Arabia against Argentina in the World Cup, added the fifth. In the second half, Ighalo scored two more goals and sealed the unexpected 7-0 victory.

Minutes before the kick-off, Ramón and Crespo shared a fraternal hug next to one of the benches. They smiled and had a long chat, before the former Banfield coach greeted Emiliano Díaz, Ramón's brother and part of his coaching staff. The camaraderie was set aside on the field, and when it came to the truth, Al Hilal overwhelmed Al Duhail.

With this result, and after a more than dignified performance in the Club World Cup (where they lost the final against Real Madrid), Ramón Díaz's team reaches the final of the Asian Champions League. Their opponent will be Urawa Red Diamonds from Japan, a team that has already secured their spot since August after winning on penalties against Jeonbuk Hyundai from South Korea.