Veteran striker Shinzo Koroki equalized early in the second half to give Urawa Reds a 1-1 draw with Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal in the opening leg of the Asian Champions League final on Saturday in Riyadh.
The long-delayed 2022 tournament decider is the third meeting between the two clubs in the ACL final, with the J. League side lifting the trophy in 2017 and the Saudi heavyweight getting revenge two years later.
Urawa may consider itself fortunate to take home a valuable away goal to the May 6 second leg at Saitama Stadium after being dominated for most of the first-leg clash.