Al Hilal, who advanced to the quarter-finals with a 4-1 aggregate win against Uzbekistan’s Pakhtakor, have suffered a recent blip in the Saudi Pro League but head coach Jorge Jesus has no doubt of his squad's capabilities.​

“We are very happy to be here and are passionate about giving our best. It means a lot to us to compete at this level among champions. We know these matches will be tough, but we’re determined to win,” said Jesus.

“Gwangju have great potential with three talented Brazilian players and a highly competitive squad. To win, we need to perform at the highest level.”

Gwangju are unfamiliar opponents but Jesus said his team will go into the tie fully aware of the Korea Republic side’s capabilities. 

“All the talk should now be about how Al Hilal will adapt and rise to the challenge. We are fully committed to giving our best and fighting to win the title.

“We want to tell our fans that we’re here to win. We've won before, but this edition is different and much tougher. We’re approaching this tournament with a fresh perspective, taking it step by step as we aim to move forward and compete like true champions.”

Gwangju’s fairytale season has included a stunning win over Japan's Vissel Kobe in the previous round, with Lee Jung-hyo’s side overturning a 2-0 defeat in the first leg to advance 3-2 on aggregate.  

“Tomorrow's game is going to be very interesting. We’ll be playing against a strong team but as  always, we’ll stick to our usual style, an offensive, fast-paced, and aggressive game,” said head coach Lee.

“We’ve analysed Al Hilal thoroughly. We know we need to pay special attention to their Saudi players, particularly Salem Al Dawsari, Ali Al Bulaihi and Mohamed Kanno. They are the core of the team.

“I respect Al Hilal’s long history in this competition, they’ve reached the final nine times and won it four times. That speaks volumes about their pedigree."

Venue: King Abdullah Sports City Stadium (Jeddah)

Kick-off: Friday, 19:30 (UTC+3)