Despite both sides' status as among the top clubs in Asia, this will be the first encounter between the two. In fact, Marinos have never met a team from Saudi Arabia before while it will also be Al Nassr's first face off against Japanese opposition.

With a new format introduced this season, Al Nassr finally get a chance to lock horns with a side from East Asia. Marinos ended their wait last season, although it had an unhappy twist after they lost the final to UAE's Al Ain FC. 

Marinos have to achieve what only one previous Japanese side has done on the continent, defeat a West Asian team away from home. Saudi Arabian clubs are unbeaten in five home matches against Japanese teams in the AFC Champions League Elite (W2 D3). In fact, Japanese teams have won only one away match against West Asian sides in the competition (W1 D7 L6), with the sole victory being Gamba Osaka edging Al Karamah of Syria 2-1 in the 2008 quarter-finals. There is hope for Marinos though as Al Nassr will not be playing in Riyadh.

Al Nassr will be aiming to reach the semi-finals for a third time after 2020 and 2021, having suffered defeat on both occasions.

A second consecutive semi-final appearance would mean Marinos joining Urawa Red Diamonds as the only sides to make back-to-back last four appearances. Three-time champions Urawa achieved the feat in the 2007 and 2008 seasons.

They may have started with a heavy defeat against Gwangju FC but Marinos have kept a clean sheet in seven games this season - more than any other team. In fact, they conceded only once in their last seven matches, allowing opponents to create just six big chances in total.

Cristiano Ronaldo has scored in his last four matches in the AFC Champions League Elite (six goals) for Al Nassr, with only former star Abderrazak Hamdallah bettering that - having netted in eight consecutive matches between August 2019 and September 2020.

Anderson Lopes has been involved in 13 goals this season (9 goals, 4 assists), a number only bettered by Al Ahli Saudi FC's Riyad Mahrez (15). Since Brazilian Lopes appeared in the competition for the first time in April 2022, only Al Hilal SFC's Salem Al Dawsari (11) has been involved in more goals in the knockout stage of the competition (10 - 8 goals, 2 assists).