East meets west in Asia tomorrow as the AFC Champions League semi-final first legs kick off with Saudi giants Al Ittihad and Pohang Steelers of Korea Republic playing hosts to Japan's Nagoya Grampus and Umm-Salal of Qatar respectively.

Al Ittihad, the only side to have won the tournament twice, eased into the last four by reproducing the kind of form which had seen them conquer the continent in 2004 and 2005. The Saudi outfit boast immense experience and a proud home record, having survived unbeaten at the Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium throughout this entire Champions League campaign.

While Nagoya know the scale of the challenge awaiting them in Jeddah, tournament surprise packages Umm-Salal face an equally stern test away to Pohang. The South Koreans have also proved invincible on home soil, where their exploits have included a 6-0 trouncing of Australian side Newcastle Jets in the last 16. Join FIFA.com as we take a closer look at the two semi-final pairings.

The match
Al Ittihad (KSA) - Nagoya Grampus (JPN)
Al Ittihad are sailing into the uncharted waters against Nagoya, given that they have never come across Japanese opposition in the Champions League. Not that unfamiliarity will be accepted as an excuse by coach Gabriel Calderon, who has set his sights firmly on then final.

Under the Argentinian, Ittihad have been running riot this year, winning their group with ease before cruising past Pakhkator in the quarter-finals with a 5-1 aggregate victory. Conversely, the visiting Nagoya suffered two recent defeats in their domestic league, and their prospects are not improved by the absence of Naoshi Masukawa, who is ruled out with illness.

Nagoya can, however, take heart from the spirited victories against Suwon Bluewings and Kawasaki Frontale that secured their place in the last four. Besides, their tall Australian striker Josh Kennedy is sure to cause headaches for the hosts with his aerial prowess, while fellow forward Yoshizumi Ogawa has proved capable of scoring at the highest level.

The other headliner
Pohang Steelers (KOR) - Umm-Salal (QAT)
Despite edging out FC Seoul to progress to the last four, Umm-Salal's underdog status is unlikely to change when they travel to Pohang. They may have stunned the likes of Esteghlal and Al Hilal during their campaign thus far but the Qatari outfit's scoring tally is less impressive: with ten goals for and 16 against in their ten games so far.

Fabio Cesar and new signing Magno Alves, who were the heroes in that victory over FC Seoul, will be hoping to emulate the feat against Pohang. However, while attempting to grab an away goal, the visitors will need to remain wary of the attack-minded hosts, who produced a 4-1 victory to turn around 3-1 first-leg loss against Bunyodkor at the quarter-final stage. Pohang's Brazilian hitman Denilson has bagged seven goals to steer his side through so far and he will once again be crucial as they attempt to edge towards the final.

Player to watch
At 31, Mohammed Noor enters the semi-finals aiming to become the first Asian player to win the continental title three times. Throughout his lengthy association with Al Ittihad, which dates back to 1996, the midfielder has forged his reputation as the team's key figure by continuing to score and lay on crucial goals. In the absence of the injured striking sensation Naif Hazazi, Noor's flair and goalscoring ability is likely to prove vital if Ittihad are to outscore Nagoya Grampus.

What they said
"I will be very sad if we don't win the title, even if I end up finishing top scorer of the tournament. Our goal is to win the Asian laurels and only that will be reward for the hard work we have done," Pohang Steelers forward Denilson.

2009 AFC Champions League semi-final first leg fixtures
21 October
Al Ittihad (KSA) - Nagoya Grampus (JPN)
Pohang Steelers (KOR) - Umm-Salal (QAT)