(MENAFN- The Peninsula) The Peninsula
Doha: Xavi Heenandez-coached Al Sadd will be looking to overcome a one-goal deficit when they host Saudi Arabian counterparts Al Nassr in the second leg of the AFC Champions League (ACL) quarter-final today.
The 2011 champions of the continental tournament, Al Sadd will seek nothing less than a 1-0 win, having lost the first leg by a 2-1 margin in Riyadh 10 days ago.
The Saudi team has never made it to the semi-final stage and Xavi's men will be looking to dent their hopes at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium this afternoon.
'We are delighted to be at this stage in the AFC Champions League and we are ready for the match, Xavi said at the press conference yesterday.
'My goal is to win the AFC Champions League, Xavi said.
'I came to Qatar to win the championships with Al Sadd as a player and coach. I talked to the players about the importance of winning, and I talked in particular with captain Hassan Al Haydoos about our ability to win the Asian Champions League like what the national team did in the Asian Cup 2019. I am confident of the players and very eager for this match, and we hope to succeed in it and qualify for the semi-finals, the former Al Sadd captain said.
'We will be facing a difficult match against Al Nasr. We know them very well and accept the difficulties ahead, but I am optimistic that we will play our best game as we also have the advantage of playing at home in front of our fans. So we will defend our chances of qualifying for the next stage, the Barcelona legend said.
'We started the season very well and I am happy with the level that the team offers, Xavi said.
Al Sadd will welcome back their star south Korean midfielder Nam Tae-hee, who was recovering from an injury which he sustained during last month's Sheikh Jassim Cup tie against Al Duhail.
Tae-Hee, 28, resumed training well in advance and he will join the Wolves' stellar line-up in today's crunch tie.
'Nam is ready for the game and will be on the list of favourites, Xavi said yesterday.
South Korean star Jung Wooyoung and Algeriaan goal machine Baghdad Bounedjah are also back after international duties and they will also lift Xavi's hopes in today's match.
Captain Al Haydos did not look troubled by Al Nassr's goal advantage.
'We have the opportunity to compensate and qualify, Al Haydos said during the pre-match press conference yesterday, said that today's match will be a new challenge.
After failing to make it past the play-offs for two consecutive years, Al Sadd put on a solid performance in the 2018 AFC Champions League, going as far as the semi-finals before losing to eventual runners-up Persepolis. A
Al Sadd can take confidence from their vastly superior history in the competition, compared to their visitors.
The Qataris have reached the knock-out stages on five occasions and remain the last West Asian side to lift the trophy.
The Qatari side qualified for the quarter-finals by defeating Al Duhail 4-2 on aggregate while Al Nassr put it past the UAE's Al Wahda 4-3 on aggregate in Round of 16.
Al Sadd reached the Round of 16 after topping Group D with 10 points and the Saudi side progressed to the knockout stage by becoming runners-up in Group A, also with 10 points.
MENAFN1509201900630000ID1099008075
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.