Al Ahli will have to defeat a formidable team capable of going toe-to-toe with Europe’s finest if they are to make history and pip Guangzhou Evergrande to the hallowed 2015 AFC Champions League-trophy, according to boss Cosmin Olaroiu.
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The Red Knights’ two-legged clash during the final of the continent’s premier club competition gets under way at a raucous Rashid Stadium tonight.
The imposing 2013 winners stand in the way of the Dubai outfit’s dream of lifting the title upon their first entry into the knockout stages.
“We arrive in the last step for the trophy,” said Olaroiu. “We are going to face a very strong team.
“In my opinion, they could compete against any club in Europe. They are a very balanced team and very powerful. They won five times in a row the internal competition [Chinese Super League], this says a lot. Now, we are preparing the game in the best way possible.
“It is important to win and to make the step in front for the second game. But we have to do it in a clever way. Like all teams, nobody is perfect. They also have weak points, we hope to find ways to put them in trouble.”
The showpiece sees the premier teams from east and west Asia come together for the first time in 2015, with the return match scheduled for November 21. This has provided the Southern China Tigers with a new challenge, but World Cup-winning boss Luiz Felipe Scolari did not expect any undue difficulty.
“Our preparation was very different, seeing as we had a long time travelling and there’s a little bit of jetlag,” said the 66-year-old former Chelsea and Brazil boss.
“But we have received very good hospitality from the people here in Dubai. We have a lot of very specific details [about Ahli] but in front of the press, maybe we have to keep it to ourselves.”
