Al Ain coach Zlatko Dalic is confident his side can take a giant step towards qualification from Group C with a win over Tractor Sazi tonight, despite freezing conditions in Tabriz.
Following a 3-1 victory over Tractor at the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium two weeks ago, another win would put the Boss on the verge of the second round, but they will be up against the elements as well as their opponents at the Yadegar-e-Emam Stadium.
Snow fell in Tabriz, located in the north-west of Iran, yesterday and although sun is forecast today temperatures are not expected to get into double figures.
That is in stark contrast to the weather they left behind in Al Ain, where the gauge hit 34°C yesterday, but Dalic insists his players can cope and says they are in Iran to win.
“We are here to play a good game and get a good result,” he said. “The big problem for us is the weather conditions. It’s snowing and the temperature is very different from our home, but that will not beregarded as an excuse for us since we are here to win.
“Tractor are very strong, especially their fantastic playmaker Ali Karimi who could be very difficult for us. I know many fans will support them, which is normal when they’re playing at home, so I’m sure it will be a different game from the first one, but we are determined to win.
“Our first target is qualifying from the group phase and then we will see what happens. If we win, our place in the knockout stage will be almost guaranteed, but at the moment the group is open for every team to qualify.”
Al Ain striker Alex Brosque, whocould start in Tabriz following a substitute appearance in the weekend win over Emirates, concurred with Dalic.
“We are professional players and able to face all conditions anywhere,” he said. “I think we will show a good performance and be back to UAE with the three points.”
The Boss will be without Ibrahim Diaky for the game, after the midfielder picked up his second yellow card in the competition a fortnight ago, but Ahmed Barman is set to return from suspension.
Tractor will welcome back goalkeeper Hamed Lak and vice-captain Mohammad Nosrati as they look to leapfrog their visitors with victory.
Tractor coach Toni Oliveira said: “Asamoah Gyan is the player who makes the difference for Al Ain. He scored two goals in the last match and is an influential player.
“We will try with our collective organisation to stop him because he can win the match for his squad at any given moment.”
