Alkass Digital
Qatar football heavyweights Al Sadd and Al Duhail will be looking to make an impact in their respective groups when the AFC Champions League Group stage action returns today.
Al Sadd will be up against a formidable FC Nasaf of Uzbekistan in their second Group B fixture at the Pakhtakor Central Stadium in Tashkent, while Al Duhail will enjoy their home advantage when they face Persepolis FC in Group E at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium.
Al Sadd’s opponent, FC Nasaf are currently riding high with three points from their victory on Matchday One, and Al Sadd coach Bruno Miguel is expecting a tough challenge against the Uzbek club.
We are expecting a difficult match as always. Nasaf is a well-organized team with good players, and we are expecting a very tough match,” Miguel said during a pre-match press conference, yesterday.
Miguel also expressed confidence in the available players despite some absences, and said: “The available players will always give their best. We trust the players that we have.”
“Nasaf has two points more than us, so that may affect the way they approach this game. But I think both teams will have the same mentality. The goal is always to win the game,” Miguel said.
Al Sadd, the AFC Champions League winners in the same year in which FC Nasaf clinched the AFC Cup, were held to a goalless draw by UAE’s Sharjah FC on Matchday 1 last month. However, a dominant 4-0 victory over Al Gharafa in the Expo Stars League has bolstered their confidence ahead of today’s game.
Miguel noted that all the teams in their group, which also includes Jordan’s Al Faisaly, are well balanced.
“There are no weak teams. This is the Champions League, and almost all teams are balanced and well-organized,” Miguel said.
Meanwhile, in Doha, both Al Duhail and Persepolis will be eager to claim all three points after facing tough challenges on Matchday 1.
Al Duhail, last season’s semi-finalists, were held to a draw by FC Istiklol despite dominating possession. However, they will be determined to exhibit greater attacking prowess against the 2018 and 2020 runners-up Persepolis today. Both teams failed to register a single shot on target in their respective openers, but finding their scoring touch today will be crucial for both sides.
Al Duhail coach Hernan Crespo said their ambition is to clinch the title this time.
“We enter all the competitions and tournaments with the ambition to compete for their title. Last year we succeeded in reaching the semi-final round for the first time, and although it is a good thing, it is not enough because we are seeking to win the title. We know that the team is in a difficult group.
However, we will work hard to earn points and qualify for the next round, and the players’ abilities can push the team to reach advanced stages of the competition,” Crespo said.
Al Duhail’s new signing, Brazilian Philippe Coutinho is expected to start for the Red Knights today, but they will miss the services of Ibrahima Diallo.
Crespo said that he trusts the Qatari players to fill the gaps of missing international stars.
“We are happy with Coutinho joining the team and showing his skills and abilities on the field, even though he only participated for an hour during the last league match, but he succeeded in getting a penalty kick and scoring the second goal from a direct free kick, and he was not 100 percent ready," he said.
Since the beginning of the season, we are facing issues with the participation of professionals, as we are now missing Diallo, and in the previous ACL match we lost (Michael) Olunga. But the team has Qatari players with distinguished levels, which is a good thing for us, and they are able to fill the gap that could occur at any time,” Crespo said.