Al Ain & Al Jazira both vow to attack in crunch ACL showdown

Martyn Thomas 10:46 13/05/2014
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  • Purple patch: Abdulrahman (c) scored as Al Ain secured a 2-1 first leg lead over Al Jazira.

    AL AIN (2) v AL JAZIRA (1)

    Stadium: Hazza bin Zayed 

    Referee: Valentin Kovalenko (UZB)
    Kick-off: 8pm (UAE time)
    Live tonight on: beIN Sports 10HD

    Al Ain and Al Jazira have both promised to go on the attack tonight as they go head-to-head for a place in the AFC Champions League quarter-finals.

    The Boss have the upper hand ahead of the round of 16 second leg at the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium having secured a 2-1 win in Abu Dhabi last week.

    With two precious away goals in the bag, the hosts could be expected to try to shut up shop to secure a stalemate that would send them through to the last eight for the first time since 2006.

    Even a repeat of the pair’s 2-2 Arabian Gulf League draw in Al Ain 12 days ago would be enough for the home side but coach Zlatko Dalic insists his team will not play safe.

    “I don’t set up teams to defend,” he said. “Our style is to attack and score more goals. I’ve been coach here for 13 games and we have scored a goal in every one.

    “Jazira will have to create pressure to try and win the game. I think my team is ready and the players know this is a big game and to be in the top eight teams in Asia would be big for us.

    “This is what the players have trained 10 months for, this period.”

    Mirel Radoi should captain Al Ain tonight having started his first game for nearly two months against Al Wasl last Friday as a second-string Boss side won 1-0.

    And he concurred with Dalic, as he said: “Our quality is that we have skilled players and we have to use that to keep the ball because we don’t know how to defend – we will defend by attacking.

    “The biggest coaches, like Fabio Capello, say the best way to defend is by attacking. Our coach has this philosophy so we have to use it.”

    The Romanian, who revealed Al Ain’s players had “taken a lot of confidence” from Dalic’s short reign, added: “We are a big club and as big players at a big club we have to win always.”

    While the Boss’ apparent desire to go on the attack is perhaps a little surprising, Jazira have no real choice as they start the game knowing they must score at least twice to reach the last eight for the first time in their history.

    But the Abu Dhabi club’s coach, Walter Zenga, has not given up hope his side can turn the tie around, citing their second-half fightbacks in each of the teams’ two meetings this month.

    “We start 2-1 to them but it is not impossible to win and it is going to be a very, very open game,” said the Italian, who laughed off questions over his future. “The winner is going to be the team who is smarter on the pitch, that concentrates and believe more in themselves. It doesn’t matter whether you play in Al Ain, in Abu Dhabi or anywhere, the games for my team are open, every time.”

    Zenga added: “The first game was decided by some episodes. Omar (Abdulrahman) shot, it hit the post and went in, (Abdulla) Mousa shot, it hit the crossbar, the back of the keeper and the ball stayed out.”

    However, the former Al Ain and Al Nasr coach is fully aware at how important a fast start will be tonight.

    “I would like that for once the first action is good for us,” Zenga said. “The first action last week, Al Ain scored. The second action, they scored. I would like for once, Khamis Esmail shoots from 30 metres and scores. Then it is 1-0 for us and we see what the balance of the game is.”

    LIKELY LINE-UPS

    Al Ain (4-2-3-1): Eisa; Fayez, Salem, I Ahmed, M Ahmed; Barman, Radoi; M Abdulrahman, O Abdulrahman, Diaky; Gyan

    Al Jazira (4-3-3): Khaseif; Mousa, Abdulla, Fayez, Sabeal; Shin, Esmail, Jucilei; Barrada, Mabkhout, Caicedo

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