2017 AFC Champions League Final


The 2017 AFC Champions League Final was the final of the 2017 AFC Champions League, the 36th edition of the top-level Asian club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation, and the 15th under the current AFC Champions League title.
The final was contested in two-legged home-and-away format between Saudi Arabian team Al-Hilal and Japanese team Urawa Red Diamonds. The first leg was hosted by Al-Hilal at the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh on 18 November 2017, while the second leg was hosted by Urawa Red Diamonds at the Saitama Stadium 2002 in Saitama on 25 November 2017. The winner earned the right to represent the AFC at the 2017 FIFA Club World Cup, entering at the second round.
After the first leg ended in a 1–1 draw, Urawa Red Diamonds defeated Al-Hilal 1–0 in the second leg to win 2–1 on aggregate, and were crowned AFC Champions League champions for the second time.

Teams

In the following table, finals until 2002 were in the Asian Club Championship era, since 2003 were in the AFC Champions League era.
TeamRegionPrevious finals appearances
Al-HilalWest Region 5
Urawa Red DiamondsEast Region 1

;Notes

Venues

This was the fourth time that an Asian club final was played in the King Fahd International Stadium, with the previous finals being 1995, 2000, and 2014.
This was the second time that an Asian club final was played in the Saitama Stadium 2002, with the previous final being 2007.

Road to the final

Note: In all results below, the score of the finalist is given first.

Format

The final was played on a home-and-away two-legged basis, with the order of legs reversed from the previous season's final. The away goals rule, extra time and penalty shoot-out would be used to decide the winner if necessary.

Matches

First leg

Urawa Red Diamonds took the lead in the seventh minute after Rafael Silva intercepted a clearance of Salman Al-Faraj and converted from close range.
Omar Kharbin scored for Al-Hilal in the 37th minute striking a close-range effort through the legs of Urawa Red Diamonds goalkeeper Shusaku Nishikawa.

Second leg

Carlos Eduardo tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during first leg and was ruled out from second leg.
Urawa Red Diamonds scored the only goal in the 88th minute when Rafael Silva scored from the right of the penalty area, shooting high to the net with his right foot.