It will be a meeting between two sides who have already booked their Round of 16 spots when Qatar’s Al Sadd welcome Saudi’s Al Ahli to Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium for their AFC Champions League Elite 2024/25 tie today.
Al Ahli went into the break tied at top on 16 points with fellow Saudi Arabia side Al Hilal with Al Sadd four adrift in fourth place. Both sides are unbeaten and will target victory as they bid to finish as high as possible in the final standings to ensure a good seeding going into the draw.
AFC Champions League 2011 winners Al Sadd will fancy their chances at home, especially after ending a three-year absence from the knockout stage with several phenomenal performances prior to the break. Sadd coach Felix Sanchez said his is expecting a difficult match against Al Ahli. “We know that we will face a good team and we are playing on our home ground. It is an important match for us despite our qualification. We will play according to our plans and achieve our goal of winning,” The Spaniard said.
“Al Ahli have high-level players and we know that they have also added new players to strengthen their ranks. But we know ourselves well and we know our capabilities and we know that we will face a strong and competitive team. This is the right time for us to show our capabilities in front of any team. We will work to provide a good performance and achieve the desired result,” Sanchez added.
Al Ahli were even more impressive as a run of five consecutive wins saw them booking their Round of 16 spot with an amazing three matches to spare.
Their winning run was halted by a 2-2 draw with Iran’s Esteghlal FC on Matchday Six and Al Ahli will be determined to net the three points as they look to keep the pressure on Al Hilal in the race for the West Zone top spot.
Ahli’s coach Matthias Jaissle also expected a tough encounter. “We know that it will be a strong match against a strong team. We will face which has a dangerous attack. studied the Sadd team and it is one of the strongest matches for us,” the German said. ”Will play our way, and as a team, we are ready for the match, and regardless of the participation of the new players, we are progressing well, and the new players have roles in what is coming to contribute to the development of the team.”
Rayyan face UAE’s Al Ain
Meanwhile, It will be a case of fighting to stay in the competition when UAE’s Al Ain welcome Qatar’s Al Rayyan to the Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium for their AFC Champions League Elite clash today.
Rayyan in seventh place with five points are very much in the race for a spot in the Round of 16. Victories in their final two matches will confirm Rayyan their spot in the knockout stage, having only achieved the feat once in their 12 appearances in the AFC Champions League era.
Al Rayyan’s coach Artur Jorge expressed confidence in his team’s ability to win. During a press conference, he highlighted that the team’s current form gave him confidence that they would enhance their chances of qualifying for the next round.
While Jorge is a long-time friend of Al Ain’s coach, Leonardo Jardim, he made it clear that he is fully focused on defeating his compatriot in this crucial match. He and his staff have analysed Al Ain thoroughly, identifying their strengths and weaknesses.
Jorge also emphasised that Al Rayyan players are motivated by the opportunity to advance, with their five points putting them in a strong position. A victory will bring them one step closer to the next stage, making this match a key moment in their pursuit of qualification.
Al Ain have an outside chance of advancing to the knockout stage after an underwhelming campaign which has yielded only two points.
Having lifted the AFC Champions League title for a second time in 2023/24, much was expected of Al Ain in the inaugural season of the AFC Champions League Elite. Instead, their dismal run saw the departure of Hernan Crespo with Portuguese Leonardo Jardim brought in to stabilise them.
Jardim, who won the AFC Champions League title with Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal in 2021, didn’t have much time to work his magic on Al Ain as his two matches in charge prior to the break only garnered one point.
With just two games remaining, Al Ain need maximum points to stand a chance and Jardim, having had time to work with the squad, will expect a fighting performance against Al Rayyan.
Related Story