Urawa Red Diamonds ready for AFC Champions League final first leg

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SHOWS: RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA (NOVEMBER 8, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

1. (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) URAWA RED DIAMONDS COACH, TSUYOSHI OTSUKI, SAYING:

"The team in the league and the team in ACL both are the same team. There are no differences. We are always playing on hundred per cent for the victory."

2. VARIOUS OF URAWA REDS GOALKEEPER STRETCHING

3. (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) URAWA RED DIAMONDS COACH, TSUYOSHI OTSUKI, SAYING:

"Tomorrow the second keeper will play and he has shown good performances. I'm confident that he will have a good performance tomorrow. Also I trust him and I'm looking forward to see him play."

STORY: Tsuyoshi Otsuki said on Friday (November 8) that despite his side struggling in domestically - the Reds are 11th in the J-League and in danger of being dragged into the relegation battle, his Urawa Red Diamonds chargers always play to win and that will not be any difference when they face Al Hilal in the first leg of the AFC Champions League final on Saturday (November 9).

Their issues mirror those they endured in 2017 when they won the second of their Asian titles despite a slump on the home front.

Victory over Al Hilal would see Urawa become the first club to claim the title for a third time since the Asian Champions League era began in 2002.