Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Al Ain: Recently crowned UAE champions Al Ain welcome back skipper Helal Saeed and Slovakian winger Miroslav Stoch for Wednesday’s AFC Champions League Round of 16 second leg against countrymen Al Ahli with the tie delicately poised following a goalless draw last week.
Stoch was seeing out the fourth and final game of his suspension following a red card against Uzbekistan’s Pakhtakor during the group stage, while midfielder Saeed (pictured left) missed the stalemate in Dubai after picking up two yellow cards as Al Ain topped Group B with an unbeaten record.
But despite their league championship joy, Zlatko Dalic’s side head into the second leg having lost Saturday’s UAE President’s Cup quarter-final 1-0 to Al Nasr.
“It was very hard to maintain the same form in the last 11 months and I hope that we can have a good ending to our season. Our target was to be among the best teams in the AFC Champions League and hopefully we can achieve this,” said Croatian coach Dalic, who led Al Ain to the AFC Champions League semi-finals last year.
“The result of the first leg was good for us because we were playing away from home and hopefully we can get the result that we are looking for at home.”
Inaugural AFC Champions League winners Al Ain currently hold the edge over Cosmin Olaroiu’s Al Ahli in their five meetings over the last year after recording two wins and two draws with just a solitary defeat.
Their most recent encounters prior to last week’s stalemate saw Salmin Khamis’ strike secure Al Ahli a 1-0 win in the Super Cup at the end of March before Asamoah Gyan scored as Al Ain gained revenge a week later in the league.
“The match will be the fifth encounter with Al Ahli this season and I wish that we can win,” added Dalic.
“We also won the league title which was one of our main targets this season. I have great confidence in my players and I know very well that they will be giving their best to win the match and qualify.”
Prior to last year when Dalic’s side lost to Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal in the semi-finals, Al Ain last reached the quarter-finals in 2006 having also lost the 2005 final.
Photo: WSG