Al Nassr Brace For Tough Al Sadd Test As Al Rayyan Eye Points Against Al Wasl

(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Al Nassr Club will brace themselves for a tough test when they welcome Al Sadd SC to the King Saud University Stadium for their AFC Champions League Elite 2024/25 tie today.
Saudi Arabia's Al Nassr, however, will head into the tie having already sealed knockout stage qualification while a win for Qatar's Al Sadd SC will almost surely confirm their ticket.
The Saudi Arabian outfit were impressive in their 3-1 win over another Qatar side, Al Gharafa, on Matchday Five with Cristiano ronaldo leading their charge with two goals to become only the second Al Nassr player to hit double digits in the AFC Champions League.
The Portuguese star netted both goals in Friday's 2-0 defeat of Damac in their Saudi Pro League tie and having not lost to Al Sadd in the last four of their eight meetings, Al Nassr will be confident of taking the points.
Al Sadd, however, are also on a seven-match unbeaten run on the continental stage and will be boosted by their battling performance against Al Hilal SFC, which ended with the teams sharing the points. Al Sadd coach Felix Sanchez said yesterday:“A tough and strong match awaits us against Al Nassr. We will face a great team that achieved distinguished results in the tournament. But our ambition is to produce a positive result to continue the tournament journey with full force.”
Al Sadd striker Christo Perez said yesterday:“We are ready for the Al Nassr match.”
He added:“I hope to score in tomorrow's match. Al Nassr is a big team and we are prepared well for this difficult confrontation.”
Seeking a knockout stage spot for the first time in four seasons, Al Sadd will relish testing themselves against Al Nassr in their bid to lift the continental title for a second time after having emerged the AFC champions League winners in 2011.
Al Rayyan eye win and three points in Al Wasl clash
Al Wasl will be aiming to tighten their grip on a knockout stage spot when they welcome Qatar's Al Rayyan SC to the Zabeel Stadium for their AFC Champions League Elite 2024/25 tie today.
UAE's Al Wasl are well poised to book a Round of 16 spot, sitting on 10 points after five matches, while Al Rayyan are six behind and in danger of missing the cut.
Al Wasl's tally of 10 points is the highest they have ever accumulated on the continental stage in a single season and this is testament to just how solid they have been so far. Their only defeat was to Al Ahli Saudi FC on Matchday Two, with their three-match unbeaten run since then also a first for them on the continental stage.
Al Rayyan, however, will be confident of their chances after bouncing back from three defeats to edge Pakhtakor 1-0 and hold Persepolis FC 1-1. Al Rayyan coach Younes Ali said yesterday:“We are ready to face Al Wasl, and our goal is to secure all three points. We need to be mentally and technically prepared, as this match is like a final. Al Wasl has been consistent in the Champions League Elite, but we are ready to stop their threat.”
Al Rayyan keeper Paulo Victor said yesterday:“We are excited for the match against Al Wasl and are aiming for a win. Any player who wears the Al Rayyan jersey carries a great responsibility, and our goal is to advance to the next stage.”
The four points have pushed them into the qualification spots and a win against Al Wasl will be a boost to their hopes of seeing knockout stage action.

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