JEDDAH: Kawasaki Frontale clinched a well deserved spot in the final of the AFC Champions League Elite™ Finals Jeddah 2025 with a 3-2 win against Al Nassr Club at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium.

Frontale played brilliant counter attacking football to not only advance to the final for the first time but also end Al Nassr’s dream, with a thrilling showdown against Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli Saudi FC next for the Japanese side on Saturday.

Frontale made six changes to the starting line-up that had edged Qatar’s Al Sadd SC 3-2 in the quarter-finals, while Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr were unchanged from the side that had started in the 4-1 win against Japan’s Yokohama F. Marinos 4-1.

Al Nassr got off to a fast start, with Frontale custodian Louis Yamaguchi forced into a sprawling save to deny Jhon Duran’s effort from inside the area in the opening seconds.

The Japanese side responded in the sixth minute when Marcelo Brozovic was outmuscled by Marcinho, who surged into the box but pulled his effort wide.

Frontale, however, found themselves ahead four minutes later when a headed clearance fell invitingly for Tatsuya Ito, who struck a wonderful volley from just above the box into the top left corner.

Al Nassr looked to bounce back and had a chance in the 16th minute with Sadio Mane on the end of a fast break, only for the Senegalese forward to pull his effort wide from inside the area while Cristiano Ronaldo tried his luck from distance.

The Saudi Pro League side drew level with their next attack, with Mane weaving his way through before unleashing a shot, with the ball hitting Yuichi Maruyama and sailing past the diving Yamaguchi.

With the wind in their sails, Al Nassr continued pressing with Ronaldo seeing his header in the 33rd minute bouncing off the woodwork.

Al Nassr paid a heavy price for the miss, with Frontale retaking the lead in the 41st minute through 20-year-old Yuto Ozeki who struck after Tatsuya Ito’s initial effort had been blocked by Al Nassr keeper Bento.

Both sides knew they were in for a big second half and it was Frontale who came close first, with Yuki Yamamoto trying to lay the ball into the path of a surging Erison, only to be foiled by Bento’s intervention.

Al Nassr, however, continued to dominate the ball but without making much headway as Frontale easily thwarted any danger that came their way.

Content to hit on the break, one such move paid off handsomely for the Japanese side after the surging Erison sprinted past Aymeric Laporte down the byline before cutting back to Akihiro Ienaga for a simple finish.

Aiman Yahya set up a grandstand finish by reducing the deficit in the 87th minute and Al Nassr had their fans at the edge of their seats with Ronaldo having three chances in the closing minutes but Frontale thwarted them all to move within one match of lifting the trophy for the first time.

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