Arab News: RIYADH: The Asian Champions League Elite returns this week for what was originally intended to be a centralized final stage, comprising the quarterfinals, semifinals and final. But the conflict in the Middle East forced the Asian Football Confederation to reschedule matches amid widespread airspace closures.

While East Asian teams were able to complete their two-legged round of 16 fixtures as planned during the first two weeks of March, West Asian sides could not, prompting the AFC to reschedule those matches as single-leg affairs to be held in Jeddah just days before the finals.

The disruption raised concerns in both regions and spilled into domestic football, with leagues in Qatar, the UAE and Iran temporarily halted as authorities responded to the evolving situation.

According to Dubai-based journalist Erfan Hoseiny, co-host of the Asian Football Show, Iran’s Tractor are the side most affected heading into the finals stage.

“Tractor haven’t played in around 50 days and have only just resumed training,” he told Arab News.

“Their foreign players, who are crucial, only recently joined the squad after traveling overland to Turkiye, before taking two separate flights to reach Jeddah.”

Defending champions Al-Ahli begin their knockout campaign against Qatar’s Al-Duhail at Al-Inma Stadium at 5:45 p.m. on Monday. That match is followed by another Saudi-Qatari clash between Al-Hilal and Al-Sadd, which kicks off at 9 p.m. at the Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City Stadium.

On Tuesday, Tractor face Shabab Al-Ahli in the first match of the evening, before Al-Ittihad take on Al-Wahda in a repeat of their thrilling league-stage encounter.

The winner of Al-Ahli vs. Al-Duhail will meet Japan’s Vissel Kobe on Thursday, while Al-Hilal or Al-Sadd will face Malaysia’s Johor Darul Ta’zim on Friday.

Also on Friday, Japan’s Machida Zelvia will play the winner of Tractor vs. Shabab Al-Ahli, before Thailand’s Buriram United face the winner of Al-Ittihad vs. Al-Wahda on Saturday.

The semifinals are scheduled for April 20 and 21, with the final set for April 25 at Al-Inma Stadium for the second year running.

Al-Hilal remain the only unbeaten side in the competition and are targeting their first title since 2021. Al-Ahli, meanwhile, will benefit from home advantage — a factor that played a key role in their maiden AFC Champions League Elite triumph last year.

Fellow Saudis Al-Ittihad have struggled domestically but remain focused on continental success. The Jeddah club have won the title twice and are the only team to do so in consecutive seasons.

Manager Sergio Conceicao continues to enjoy full backing as he targets continental glory. The Portuguese has reached 15 finals in his 14-year managerial career.

The big question is whether this edition will reinforce West Asian sides’ recent dominance. While East Asian teams ruled the roost between 2006 and 2020, winning all but the 2011 and 2019 titles, since 2021, the balance has shifted.

Urawa Red Diamonds’ 2022 triumph remains East Asia’s only title in that period, with Al-Hilal (2021), Al-Ain (2023/24) and Al-Ahli (2024/25) winning the most recent editions.

Despite the recent disruptions, Hoseiny does not expect a major impact on the outcome.

“I don’t think the delays for West Asia will make much of a difference. The quality gap is still very much in their favor and all but one team in the tournament have been playing domestically,” he said.

“Holding the tournament in the West region again won’t benefit East Asian teams.”

The competition’s new format is now in its second year, but debate continues over whether it serves all participants equally.

“The league stage is a great idea,” Hoseiny said. “You see far more matchups between different sides and I think that has worked well. Combining the West and East regions from the quarterfinals onward is also a positive step.”

But improvements could be made, Hoseiny said.

“There are still issues that can be addressed. A centralized format is unfair on teams from other regions, especially those from East Asia.

“And while mixing East and West in the final stage is welcome, the draw should be fully random rather than guaranteeing an East-West tie in every quarterfinal.”