Henk ten Cate’s fine work at Al Wahda could gain tangible reward on Tuesday night when his troops aim to end a 12-year absence from the AFC Champions League’s knockout stages.
Avoid defeat against Uzbekistan’s Lokomotiv Tashkent at Al Nahyan Stadium and progression from Group B will have been earned, with a game to spare. Some turnaround after the same side handed out a 2-0 humbling in March’s opener.
Lokomotiv, however, must prevail if they are to retain slender hopes of advancing from third place. Here are the talking points:
REVENGE AND HISTORY
The Champions League has provided a plethora of chastening experiences for the Clarets.
Since a 3-1 aggregate loss to Iran’s Sepahan in 2007’s semi-finals, five group-stage exits and 2015’s epic play-off defeat to Qatar’s Al Sadd have been incurred. In the previous two editions, they finished a distant and dispiriting bottom of their section.
Enter Ten Cate. The Al Jazira icon answered December’s emergency call from across Abu Dhabi.
Under him, a 4-1 thrashing of Saudi Arabia’s Al Ittihad ended their shameful run of seven losses in eight ACL matches. The memorable double-header against Qatar’s Al Rayyan – the latest a 4-3 win that contained a super hat-trick for Brazilian forward Leonardo – then added a vital six points.
Derail Lokomotiv this midweek and a cherished round-of-16 berth is assured.
A WORD FOR LEONARDO
Arabian Gulf League clubs are rarely this adept in the transfer market.
Last August’s free transfer pick-up of Leonardo has become the bargain of the decade.
💪🏋
— AlWahda FC الوحدة (@AlWahdaFCC) May 6, 2019
We are ready @LokomotivUzb 🔥#WHDFC pic.twitter.com/7GPa9cor9s
Curiously unwanted after a solid season at Al Ahli Jeddah, the 27-year-old burst into life following Ten Cate’s hire.
Against a firm Lokomotiv, his guile and craft will be essential.
GOING LOKO?
Lokomotiv sit an unfamiliar second in the infant Uzbekistan Super League, but do not discount them.
The clubs also met in 2018’s group stage. Lokomotiv prevailed with an aggregate 9-1 scoreline.
Suspension for 56-cap veteran centre-back Islom Tukhtakhodjaev, however, acts as a dampener.
