Al Ain will do everything they can to complete an “impossible mission” and overturn Al Hilal’s daunting first-leg advantage to reach the AFC Champions League final, according to coach Zlatko Dalic.
The Boss have it all to do at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium tonight after a disastrous 10-minute second-half spell in Riyadh which saw them slip to a 3-0 defeat and lose UAE goalkeeper Khalid Essa to suspension following his red card.
The 2003 winners will need to score at least three times to force the semi-final to extra-time, with the omnipresent danger of letting in away goals that will count double in the event of a draw at 90 minutes.
This will be a herculean task against opponents who have gone eight consecutive matches in Asia’s elite club competition without con- ceding and have dropped only two points in their opening six Saudi Professional League fixtures.
“It is a big challenge tomorrow in front of us,” Dalic said. “We had a bad result in Riyadh. “It won’t be easy as Al Hilal are a big team, coming here with a big advantage
“They are an experienced team, who do not give many chances. I told my team that we played 60 minutes very well, after we had some personal mistakes.
“Hilal punished us. Tomorrow, we have 90 minutes for three goals.
“We have to keep the game open but if we concede, it will be finished. I know their target is to score one goal. We must attack but be careful.
“It is maybe looking like an impossible mission, but we must try our best to win tomorrow. In football, anything is possible.” Al Ain have recovered well from the disappointing display in the first leg, winning both their Arabian Gulf League fixtures. They swept to a 4-0 victory at Ajman on Wednesday, but this seemed to have come at a cost as key midfielders Miroslav Stoch and Omar Abdulrahman picked up injuries. Dalic insisted, however, that neither problem was serious enough to make the players miss the Hilal decider.
The only enforced change in that scenario would see Dawoud Sulaiman replacing the banned Essa.
Mohamed Abdulrahman should be a key figure for Al Ain tonight if they are to reach the final for the first time since 2005 after recently excelling in an all-action attacking midfield role that has allowed brother Omar to drop deeper.
“We are expecting a tough game against tough opponents,” the 25-year-old said.
“They are coming with a big advantage, but we are playing not just for ourselves but the club, city and country. We are mentally and physically ready. We have got our confidence back, which was broken.”
