Dubai: Al Ain coach Zoran Mamic is wary of facing Winfried Schaefer’s vastly improved Esteghlal in their third Asian Champions League (ACL) group match at home from 7.20pm on Tuesday.
The Boss thrashed the Iranians 6-1 at home (and 6-2 on aggregate having lost the first leg 1-0 away) in last year’s ACL Last 16, before bowing out to eventual losing finalists Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia in the quarters.
Since German former Al Ain coach Schaefer took over the Tehran-based club from Ali Reza Mansourian in October, however, their form has greatly improved.
The Blues now find themselves on top of Group D with four points from the first two games, having followed up an opening 2-2 draw away to Qatar’s Al Rayyan with a 1-0 win at home to Al Hilal.
Al Ain are level with Al Rayyan in second on two points after drawing their opening two games 0-0 away to Al Hilal and 1-1 at home to the Qataris.
“Winfried Schaefer has been a major development since he took charge of our rivals and now I think they are in their best form,” said Mamic of Schaefer, who managed Al Ain from 2007 to 2009 winning the President’s Cup, Arabian Gulf Cup and Super Cup treble in his final year at the club.
“We will face a different team to the one we met last year and reality confirms that all previous games we’ve had with them in various competitions are in the past.
“We must also forget about our last game against Al Wahda,” the Croatian coach said of Thursday’s season-defining 6-2 win at home to second-placed Al Wahda, from which Al Ain now have a four-point lead at the top of the UAE’s domestic Arabian Gulf League with four games remaining.
“We focus on the challenges ahead because every confrontation presents a new challenge.
“Rhythm and quality in Asian tournaments differs from local competitions and we must show spirit and defiance with respect and concentration to combat and deal with the opponent, who in this current period are very different to the side we met last year, as they are now top of the standings.
“We must take advantage of the support and atmosphere of our own stadium and take three points, especially after losing four points from the first two group matches.”
Elsewhere on Tuesday, bottom of Group B Al Wahda are away to second-placed Zob Ahan of Iran from 4.30pm in search of the Abu Dhabi-side’s first win in this year’s competition after losing their opening two group games; 5-0 away to Uzbekistan’s Lokomotiv Tashkent and 3-2 at home to Qatar’s Al Duhail.
Clarets coach Larentiu Reghecampf said: “This will be an important game for us as the chance to qualify is still there. We’ll do our best to win and fight until the last minute in a game where the most important thing will be to take three points.”
