Mirel Radoi has urged his team-mates to take their AFC Champions League form into tonight’s Arabian Gulf League clash with Al Ahli.
Al Ain go into the game 18 points behind their league-leading visitors and in the bottom half, but top of Group C in Asian football’s premier club competition having won two of their opening three games.
The latest of those was Tuesday night’s morale boosting 3-1 defeat of Tractor Sazi, handing new coach Zlatko Dalic victory in his first game at the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium.
Radoi will miss the game through suspension but has told his colleagues to take confidence from their Asian endeavours.
“I hope it will give us good morale, but they are different competitions,” the midfielder said. “I would be happy to know we can play the game in the championship the same way as we play in the AFC. It’s strange because we cannot show the same physical condition, the same things that we do as a team [domestically].”
The game means Red Knights boss, and former Al Ain coach, Cosmin Olaroiu will return to the Garden City for the first time since his acrimonious departure last summer.
Al Ain will also be without Alex Brosque and Mohammed Fayez but Dalic believes he has a deep enough squad to cope with the absences.
He said: “Any player in the team is qualified to defend Al Ain’s name in the field and I trust all of them. They are all stars.”
The match is Ahli’s fourth in just 11 days and assistant coach Catalin Raducan admitted that there would be changes to the side that won 2-1 against Sepahan on Wednesday.
The Romanian also warned the Red Knights not to be fooled by the Boss’ lowly league position.
