Asian Champions League final: Japan’s Yokohama F-Marinos come back to beat UAE’s Al Ain in first leg
- Harry Kewell’s Yokohama edge Al Ain side managed by Hernan Crespo, who met Kewell in 2005’s Liverpool v Milan final of Uefa Champions League
- Al Ain lead but second-half fightback puts Yokohama in front before second leg in two weeks
Harry Kewell’s Yokohama F-Marinos fought back to claim a narrow Asian Champions League final advantage over Hernan Crespo’s Al Ain on Saturday with a 2-1 first-leg win in Japan.
Mohammed Abbas scored in the 12th minute for United Arab Emirates side Al Ain but Yokohama’s Asahi Uenaka levelled midway through the second half before substitute Kota Watanabe grabbed the winner six minutes from time.
The second leg will be played in the UAE in a fortnight’s time.
Kewell and Crespo were meeting as coaches almost 20 years after facing each other as players in the Uefa Champions League final in Istanbul.
Crespo was part of the AC Milan side that took a 3-0 half-time lead before Kewell’s Liverpool famously came back to draw 3-3 and then win on penalties.
Kewell has led Yokohama to their first Champions League final only four months after taking over at the Japanese club.
