Paqueta admits to lack of belief in turnaround

Dubai: Scoring three goals past Esteghlal in Iran to get into the quarter-finals of the Asian Champions League was always going to be too much to ask, according to Al Shabab coach Marcos Paqueta.

The Dubai side lost the first leg of their second round tie 4-2 at home last week and could only manage a 0-0 draw in Tehran on Wednesday night, ensuring they went out 4-2 on aggregate. They were the only UAE side to reach the knockout stages of the competition.

Luis Henrique came closest to starting an Al Shabab comeback when he was denied by the crossbar before the interval, while Hanif Omranzadeh had a second half header disallowed for the home side. Hassan Ebrahim missed the chance to net a late consolation for the visitors.

Despite claiming “nothing was impossible” heading into the second leg, Paqueta’s tune had changed drastically after the match.

“To be frank, I was realistic enough not to be thinking of hammering mighty Esteghlal 3-0 on their home soil,” said Paqueta. “So, I just asked the players to play their normal game, enjoy the match and refrain from taking it too seriously, which could have left us with injuries.

“Both teams made efforts to put in a good performance. Esteghlal were the better side in the first period, but I guess we should have been awarded two penalties before the break.

“I had to change two players late in the game to keep them fit for our upcoming match back home, which is important to us.”

Al Shabab’s Asian Champions League exit gives them time to focus on their last Etisalat Pro-League game of the season at home to Al Shaab on Saturday. Currently two points behind fourth-placed Bani Yas, Al Shabab will need a win and hope Bani Yas lose away to Al Wasl on Monday in order to qualify for the continental competition again next season.

Bani Yas’ last game of the season was moved to allow them time to recover from the second leg of their GCC Champions League final against Qatar’s Al Khor on Thursday night.

If Al Shabab only finish fifth, their last chance of Asian qualification comes in the form of the President’s Cup final, which they will contest against Al Ghusais rivals Al Ahli at Al Jazira’s Stadium in Abu Dhabi next Tuesday.