Doha, Qatar: Al Sadd and Al Gharafa face testing assignments in the AFC Champions League Elite today, with both Qatari sides desperate for a change of fortunes against Saudi opponents.
At Prince Mohammed Bin Fahd Stadium in Dammam, Razvan Lucescu’s Al Sadd will chase their first victory against an Al Qadsiah side looking to maintain their unbeaten start.
The 2011 champions are under pressure to revive their campaign after two successive defeats, having seen their hopes of reaching the Round of 16 suffer an early setback.
They arrive with renewed confidence, however, following a 4-0 thrashing of Al Shahania in the Qatar Stars League, ending a run of three consecutive defeats across all competitions, including a 2-0 loss to Al Hilal in this competition.
Al Qadsiah, meanwhile, have made a strong start and will look to capitalise on home advantage.
Al Sadd also have a poor recent record against Saudi opposition, having gone six matches without a win in the competition, losing five and drawing one while conceding 17 goals.
Lucescu called on his players to show character and determination.
“We have a tough match ahead against a strong team with quality players. This is our third match in the tournament, and we hope to achieve a positive result.
Al Sadd's Guilherme Torres during a training session.
“We must show a strong fighting spirit, perform at our best, demonstrate Al Sadd’s character on the field and aim for victory,” he said.
The Romanian coach also stressed the importance of squad depth, saying injured players had replacements of the same level.
“We need all our players to be ready for this competition to continue our campaign and advance in the tournament,” he added.
Defender Tarek Salman said Al Sadd were determined to collect their first points.
“We have an important match against Al Qadsiah, a good and developing team. We must remain fully focused throughout the match.
“We will work hard to win and collect our first three points in the tournament,” he said.
Al Gharafa face daunting task in Jeddah
Meanwhile, Al Gharafa face a formidable challenge when they visit two-time defending champions Al Ahli Saudi FC at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah.
Without a point from their opening two matches, Al Gharafa need a special performance to get their campaign back on track.
Coach Pedro Martins expects a highly competitive contest and acknowledged the strength of the Saudi side, but insisted his team were ready to fight for the points.
“Al Ahli are a strong team with distinguished players and have won the title in the last two editions. However, we are fully focused and will fight to claim the points,” he said.
Martins said his side had performed well against
Al Hilal and Esteghlal but had failed to get the results they wanted.
“We know that small details make the difference in these types of matches,” he added.
Forward Yacine Brahimi also expressed confidence in Al Gharafa’s ability to compete.
“We are looking forward to winning and making our fans happy,” he said, adding that Al Gharafa also had quality players.
Al Ahli will be confident after beating
Al Wasl. They are unbeaten in their last six continental meetings with Al Gharafa, winning three and drawing three.
Al Gharafa, meanwhile, have lost their last four matches in the competition including the last season, scoring twice and conceding 13 goals.
Meanwhile, the AFC has postponed Al Nassr’s AFC Champions League Elite match against UAE’s Al Wasl, which was scheduled for today in Riyadh.
