Abu Dhabi: Victory is paramount for Al Jazira against Al Hilal on Wednesday evening if they are to maintain their slender hopes of qualifying for the AFC Champions League knockout phase, according to team manager Hussain Suhail.
The Pride of Abu Dhabi are bottom of Group C following defeats away and home – 4-0 and 1-0 respectively – to Iran’s Tractor Sazi, and a 1-1 home draw with Al Hilal courtesy of Fares Juma’s injury-time header three weeks ago.
With Al Jazira three points adrift of third-place Pakhtakor and only two teams progressing to the next stage, Wednesday’s encounter with Al Hilal in Riyadh has consequently assumed do-or-die status.
“The game is very important for the team,” Suhail, a former striker for the club, acknowledged. “It’s our last chance to keep alive our hopes of continuing in the competition. This will only be achieved by winning to reach four points to allow us to fight [for qualification] in the last two matches against Pakhtakor.”
Suhail added that the morale in the squad is high, despite injuries to key players such as the Spanish schemer Angel Lafita.
Striker Ali Mabkhout, who injured his hamstring in the corresponding fixture three weeks ago, is expected to play after representing the UAE at home to Saudi Arabia last Tuesday.
“We will try to pressurise Al Hilal from the beginning and play in a balanced way in defence and attack,” Suhail said, of Al Jazira’s tactics.
Meanwhile, the Al Hilal coach Giorgos Donis is confident the two-time ACL winners can rebound from the disappointment of conceding a last-gasp equaliser to the Abu Dhabi side last month.
“I was really disappointed with the result and the performance of some players,” said Donis after seeing his side beat Al Khaleej 3-0 in the Saudi Professional League on Saturday to lie second in the table, a point behind Al Ahli.
“From all the teams in the group, we are the best side and we should finish on top of it.”
Also in Group C on Wednesday, Tractor Sazi will look to bounce back from their 1-0 defeat to Pakhtakor in Tashkent against the Uzbekistan champions at Yadegar-e Emam Stadium, with the Iranians currently a point clear of Al Hilal at the top of the table.
Elsewhere, two-time winners Suwon Samsung Bluewings of South Korea face a return meeting with Australia’s Melbourne Victory in Group G, with Seo Jung-won’s side eyeing a first win of the campaign at Suwon World Cup Stadium.
In the other Group G clash, leaders Shanghai SIPG travel to Japan to face Gamba Osaka looking to add to last month’s 2-1 victory over the J.League side.
In Group E, China’s Jiangsu FC also face J.League opposition in FC Tokyo following a goalless draw between the pair in Japan last month.
Group E leaders Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, meanwhile, are aiming to solidify top spot when the K-League Classic champions travel to Vietnamese counterparts Becamex Binh Duong.
Finally in the West, two-time winners Al Ittihad will look to claim their first win of the 2016 campaign when they host Group A leaders Al Nasr, of the Arabian Gulf League.
Lokomotiv, meanwhile, will be aiming to take a giant leap towards their first appearance in the knockout stage when the Uzbek side host Sepahan, having already defeated the Iranians 2-0 in Isfahan.
