Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal SFC inched closer to the 2019 AFC Champions League title after clinching a nail-biting 1-0 win over Japan's Urawa Red Diamonds in their first leg of the final at Riyadh's King Saud University Stadium on Saturday.

Midfielder Andre Carrillo scored the all-important winner for Al Hilal in the 60th minute.

Playing in front of a partisan home crowd, Peruvian Carrillo headed home off a Mohamed al-Burayk assist to break the deadlock in a fast-paced match, which saw the defenders of both teams put up a stout display.

The narrow win of the Saudi side was their second win over the Red Diamonds in three years.

After his side's emphatic victory, Al-Hilal manager Razvan Lucescu told reporters, "Football is football. It's important that all the team was fighting, running, interpreting the situation very well, knowing how to keep balance and being patient when moving the ball.

"Also, the moment when they had to verticalize between their lines and their gaps, to have the opportunity to score. Then, for this reason, there was work, and it wasn't easy to say in a football game after working so hard that we can score five goals from five opportunities."

"On the other hand, there is a second game, and the result gives us (confidence) for the moment, with concentration.

"We have to go there (Japan) to fight, knowing that we're a strong team, but at the same time paying attention to every detail because this is football. 

"We might miss opportunities next time, and they might score. This is football. Referees make mistakes in front of the goal too."

Al Hilal have been facing a continental trophy drought since 2000 when they won the tournament for the second time, the first being in 1991 when it was called the Asian Club Championship.

However, they came close in 2014 and 2017 when they made it to the finals before being beaten by Western Sydney Wanderers and Urawa, respectively. They lost with a single goal margin both times.

The second leg of their AFC Champions League Final is scheduled for November 24 in Saitama in Japan.

(Cover photo via VCG)