The 24-25 Asian Champions League season will close its curtains this weekend, as Al-Ahli will host Kawasaki Frontale in an exciting AFC Champions League final. This will be the first encounter in history between the two teams, and neither of them has won the title before, so it’s guaranteed to have a new AFC Champions League Elite champion.
The winners will qualify for the 2025 FIFA Intercontinental Cup and the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup, so what should we expect from this matchup?
| ℹ️ Tournament: | AFC Champions League Elite 2024/25, Final |
| ⚽️ Venue: | King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia |
| 🗓️ Date: | 3 May 2025 |
| ⏰ Time: | 4:30 p.m. GMT on Saturday |
According to the best soccer mobile betting apps, Al-Ahli are the big home favorites at 1.35 (7/20). A draw is offered at 5.50 (9/2), while Kawasaki Frontale are the underdogs at 7.50 (13/2) to beat the Royals in the latest 2024–25 AFC Champions League Elite odds.
Al-Ahli are currently 4th on the Saudi Pro League standings with 58 points. The Royals lost to Al-Jandal in the King’s Cup round of 32, and they also lost to Al-Hilal in the Super Cup semifinals on penalties. Al-Ahli finished second in the AFC Champions League west league stage, and they knocked out Al-Rayyan, Buriram United, and Al-Hilal after that to reach the final.
Al-Ahli are coming off a thrilling 3-1 win over Al-Hilal in the AFC Champions League. Roberto Firmino, Ivan Toney, and Firas Al Buraikan scored for the Royals, while Salem Al Dawsari scored the only goal for the Blue Waves. Al-Hilal were big favorites coming into this game, as they beat Al-Ahli in five of their last six games, but the Green team completely outplayed them in this match.
Al-Ahli are very healthy for this game, as Franck Kessie and Galeno are fine and ready to participate.
Kawasaki Frontale are currently sitting in 8th place in the J1 League standings with 18 points. They are having a rough start to this season after finishing 8th as well in the last two years. The Frontale finished second on the AFC Champions League East league stage, and they proceeded to beat Shanghai Shenhua, Al Sadd, and finally Al-Nassr to reach the final.
The Frontale are coming off a surprising 3-2 away win over Al-Nassr in the AFC Champions League. Cristiano Ronaldo’s team had 74% ball possession, and they outplayed the Japanese team on both shots on target and expected goals (xG) as well, but Kawasaki had more accurate finishing and came out on top.
Kawasaki Frontale don’t have any fresh injuries, but they are still missing Cesar Haydar, Jesiel, Shintaro Kurumaya, and Ryota Oshima.
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Al-Ahli’s main strength comes from their outstanding offense, which consists of Riyad Mahrez, Ivan Toney, Roberto Firmino, and Galeno. The Royals managed to score 14 goals in their last four games, and they scored at least three goals in each of those matches. They have also scored in both halves in four of their last five games in all competitions. Al-Ahli are huge favorites to win this game, so it makes sense for them to score early and in the second half when Kawasaki Frontale leave spaces behind them.
The Asian Champions League sportsbooks are giving some enticing odds on Al-Ahli here. The Saudi Arabian team are in much better form, having lost only three of their last 29 games in all competitions, and they are on a five-game winning streak right now.
1 (100%)
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The Royals always start their games in a strong fashion, as they have won the first half in five consecutive games. Kawasaki Frontale are the complete opposite, as they have won the first half only twice in their last 10 games in all competitions. Al-Ahli have the home-field advantage in this game in their first-ever AFC UCL final, so they will be hyped up and try to get on the score sheet from early on to win the first half.
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Ivan Toney is having a fantastic first season with Al-Ahli, as he is second on the Saudi Pro League 24/25 top scorers list with 19 goals, only behind Cristiano Ronaldo. The English striker also scored six goals in the AFC Champions League this season. Toney has scored 17 goals in the last 18 games for Al-Ahli, and he is the main penalty taker as well, which boosts his scoring chances for this game. Kawasaki Frontale have a weak defense, which conceded 12 goals in the last seven matches, so Toney will have a lot of scoring opportunities.
Al-Ahli are superior to the Japanese team in this matchup, as they have quality players that should give them the edge. Make sure you use our 2025 Al-Ahli vs Kawasaki Frontale betting predictions and bet them at the legal Asian bookies to have more fun watching the game.
