Tue, 30 Nov, -0001
Esteghlal coach Amir Ghalenoei has called on his side not to lose their focus for Tuesday’s AFC Champions League clash against Al Hilal at the Azadi Stadium following their dramatic comeback win against the Saudi club in Riyadh last week.
The Tehran giants remained at the top of Group D after late goals by Pejman Montazeri and Arash Borhani saw them recover from a goal down to win 2-1 last Wednesday.
But while another win against Al Hilal this week could seal Esteghlal’s place in the last 16 for a fourth consecutive year, Ghalenoi foresees a tough battle for the Blues.
“The Esteghlal-Al Hilal rivalry has always been a tough one,” said Ghalenoi (pictured).
“Al Hilal are a very tactical team and their squad is one of the bests in the region. Locking horns with Al Hilal resembles a final, in which we have won the first leg and hope to win the second, as well.
The biggest concern though for Ghalenoi, who will be without veteran Farhad Majidi due to severe back pain, is complacency.
“Al Hilal are very powerful in midfield and on the left wing. Nawaf Shaker Alabid is a very dangerous player, but we were able to cancel him out with Pejman Montazeri back in Riyadh,” he said.
“However, the first-leg win is now part of the club’s history and we need to stay thoroughly focused on tomorrow’s clash.
“I’ve been forewarning my players time and again in training that their pride in last week’s victory won’t give them the win on Tuesday. They need to be united and organised on the pitch to seal the victory.”
Al Hilal are determined to make amends for the morale-sapping defeat against Esteghlal, which dropped them to third in the group, four points behind the Iranian club.
“We lost the game at home and missed all three points. That is what makes tomorrow’s match very crucial for us. We are very much confident and determined to beat Esteghlal on their home soil,” said Al Hilal coach Zlatko Dalic.
“We are a bit fatigued, but we are ready to face Esteghlal tomorrow night. What we need from the match is at least one point to survive in the qualification race,” added the Croatian.
Also on Tuesday, Al Rayyan will be without midfielder Daniel Goumou and defender Cho Yong-Hyung for the visit of Al Ain, while striker Jarralla Al Marri is an injury doubt as Diego Aguirre’s side seek to keep their campaign alive.
Goumou is suspended and Cho is sidelined with an injury, although Uruguayan midfielder Alvaro Fernandez is eligible to return after missing last week’s 2-1 defeat by Al Ain due to suspension.
A repeat of that result coupled with Esteghlal avoiding defeat to Al Hilal, would see Al Rayyan end their campaign in the group stage for a fifth time.
“Our situation is complicated and we know that we are facing a decisive match against Al Ain as we want to win the game in order to revive our chances of qualifying for the knockout stage of the competition,” said Al Rayyan coach Aguirre.
“We know Al Ain well and I have good confidence in the players that they will have a good performance. We create a lot of chances in our matches but the main problem that we have is scoring and we must improve this aspect.”
Al Ain, meanwhile, are hopeful Ghanaian striker Asamoah Gyan will feature after recently returning to the side from injury.
Gyan has scored 24 goals for the UAE Pro League leaders this season, but he missed last week’s win in Al Ain.
“We want a positive result from the match against Al Rayyan. Our main goal is to avoid defeat and try to play well. We faced several difficulties in the last match but we managed to win,” said Al Ain coach Cosmin Olaroiu.
“Winning against Al Rayyan in Doha will not be easy and the chances of our team winning the game are not high, however, we must do our best and try to get a positive result especially because we will have most of our key players ready for the game.”
***Photo: AFP