Al Duhail's Marco Verratti (centre) trains with teammates.
Doha, Qatar: Al Duhail will look to bounce back in the AFC Champions League (ACL) Elite when they face defending champions Al Ahli Saudi FC tonight at Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Stadium.
After a narrow 2-1 defeat to Al Hilal in Riyadh, Djamel Belmadi’s side are aiming to capitalise on home advantage in what promises to be a demanding fixture.
Despite the result, Al Duhail drew positives from their spirited performance against the Saudi powerhouse, especially considering their 7-0 semi-final loss to the same side three years ago.
“We had a short time to prepare, but I’m optimistic,” Belmadi said at the pre-match press conference.
“We’re up against the title holders who have top-class players, but I trust my team. They’re capable of producing a strong performance.”
Al Duhail and Al Ahli have met four times previously, with the Qatari side securing just one win - a home victory they’ll be hoping to replicate.
Al Ahli arrive in Doha in formidable form, unbeaten in 19 straight matches on the continental stage. In their opening group match, they came from two goals down to defeat PFC Nasaf 4-2.
“We made mistakes in the first game, and we’ve worked on correcting them,” said Al Ahli coach Matthias Jaissle.
“Al Duhail are a strong, organised side with quality in every department. We’ll have to stay sharp from the first minute.”
He added: “The team is improving with every match. Everyone is giving their best and we aim to keep building momentum.”
Kick-off is scheduled for 9:15pm.
Al Gharafa eye first win
In the other match, Al Gharafa host Iraq’s Al Shorta at Khalifa International Stadium, hoping to register their first win after a dramatic 4-3 loss to Sharjah.
“We need to respond, especially playing in front of our home fans,” said coach Pedro Martins.
“Al Shorta are well-organised, quick in transition, and have quality players. We must be alert.”
Al Shorta, who drew 1-1 with Al Sadd in their opener, are facing injury issues but remain confident. “We trust the available players to step up,” said coach Momen Soliman.
“We’ll play our way and fight for a result that satisfies our supporters.”
Kick-off is at 7:00pm.
