Abu Dhabi: Trust Zlatko Dalic to keep his star playmaker Omar Abdul Rahman on the field for the entire stipulated time in the crucial AFC Champions League return leg match against Iran’s Zob Ahan at the Foolad Shahr Stadium, Isfahan on Wednesday. The match kicks off at 20:45hrs.
Dalic, coming into the contest after suffering a scare en route to finals of the President’s Cup at home against Bani Yas, will not repeat the error of getting Omar out from the action even if the side manages to take the edge against Zob Ahan.
It is clearly a case of once bitten, twice shy for Dalic. His side almost lost their way as they squandered a two-goal cushion against Bani Yas in the span of two minutes as soon as Omar was pulled out. Al Ain still managed to win the contest but Dalic accepted that it was a ‘mistake’ and he wouldn’t ‘repeat’ that anytime soon.
That match also proved how much his side heavily rely on Omar — something that Zob Ahan coach Yahya Golmohammadi will be wary off. Al Ain will be clearly under pressure as they let Zob Ahan escape with a 1-1 draw in a match they had solely dominated. What gives Zob Ahan lots of motivation apart from playing in their own backyards is the fact that the young brigade is yet to lose a match in the tournament.
“In the first leg, they drew but the goal that was conceded didn’t not come off a well coordinated move. We conceded that goal because of a simple mistake we made in the backline. However, now we need to play the best match in the current season and redouble our efforts and show character in order to achieve a win here,” said Dalic on the eve of the encounter.
The absorbing contest in the President’s Cup would have definitely taken the toll over Al Ain but Dalic is not worried. “I would not look for any excuses before facing Zob Ahan. I would not like to say about fatigue because of the additional running we had to do in the President’s Cup semi-finals and for playing another match in 48 hours including the travel to Iran. All I would say is, we are a great team and have the ability to make the best results in whatever circumstances,” asserted Dalic.
“Personally, I have a good experience against Iranian teams and I had here three games. All the results were positive and we didn’t lose any match. So I’m confident of getting the job done this time round as well,” revealed Dalic.
Al Ain defender Mohammad Ahmad revealed that he and his teammates are upbeat going into the contest, saying: “It is not easy and we respect our opponents, but we came to Isfahan in order to win and qualify for the quarter-finals. We will fight hard in the crucial game.”
Zob Ahan coach Golmohammadi was of the view that despite achieving the positive result with a draw in the first leg, it won’t be easy for his side to qualify.
“The draw is not guaranteed to qualify, especially when the competitor had potential and is a strong Club like Al Ain. The result of the match will determine the last eight and we are aware that our opponent has the same ambition as us. They have skilful, intelligent players and a capable coach,” said Golmohammadi, who might get back the service of Mehdi Rajabzadeh.
The captain missed out the last encounter due to an injury but he took part in training and is expected to play.
