• Duhail’s campaign had a rough start, losing to Al Taawoun, but they bounced back to beat Sepahan in the next match

Head coach Hernan Crespo has vowed to march on after claiming their first win, with Al Duhail to face off against Pakhtakor today in Group D of the AFC Champions League at the King Abdullah Sports City stadium.
With the midway point of the group stage just around the corner, all four teams in the group are tied on three points with a win and a loss each. This may pave the way for an exciting run in, bearing in mind that only the group winners will progress automatically to the Round of 16.
Al Duhail’s campaign had a rough start, losing out against group hosts Al Taawoun, but they did bounce back beating Sepahan FC in the previous round, with Michael Olunga scoring late on to secure a 1-0 win.
Edmilson has impressed in both games, providing the bulk of the attacking threat for the Qatar Stars League side, and capping it off with an exceptionally taken goal on the opening day.
“The game against Sepahan was a difficult one,” said Crespo. “We managed to get the three points though, and that’s what we hope to achieve when we face Pakhtakor in our next match. I think they are a formidable side and will be a tough challenge, we saw what they can do when they faced Al Taawoun. They are a good attacking side too, yet we have a strong defence that can counter their threat. I’m confident in our abilities.”
Similarly, Pakhtakor’s AFC Champions League campaign started off with a 3-1 reversal against Sepahan, in which Dragan Ceran initially took the lead for Uzbek Super League champions before three second-half Sepahan goals sealed their fate.
They did bounce back with a win against Al Taawoun with the lively Khojimat Erkinov - creator of Ceran’s goal against Sepahan - coming on as a substitute and scoring the winner.
Head coach Slavce Vojneski appeared to have reasons for the first defeat, but asserted the level of preparedness his side had reached coming into their next match. “Al Duhail are a big side, on paper they are the strongest in the group,” said Vojneski.
The two sides have met previously back in the 2013 edition of the AFC Champions League when Lekhwiya, Al Duhail’s predecessor, managed a 3-1 win in Doha followed by a 2-2 draw in Tashkent, all within six days.
Meanwhile, in Jeddah AFC Champions League Group C leaders Al Gharafa SC will look to extend their lead when they face Shabab Al Ahli Dubai in what is expected to be a thrilling encounter between the West Asian sides. The Qatari club secured their first win in their second match and head coach Andrea Stramaccioni has urged his players to stay grounded and focused for the upcoming matches.
“International competitions are different as compared to the leagues. The quality of opponents are higher so the team must be almost perfect and not make a single mistake.  We have shown that we are a solid team waiting for the right moment to be dangerous,” said Stramaccioni.
Al Gharafa have scored twice without conceding after two matches but their defence will be tested by Shabab Al Ahli’s offence. “It will be a tough game tomorrow. Our opponent has the characteristics and individual quality to make it a difficult match. In my opinion, they are the best team in front in terms of quality and skills. For us to be successful, we must give a perfect performance.”
“When you play six games in such a short time, you need players to be mentally ready. If you see our last game, our substitutes change the rhythm in front of goal. I need my team to be mentally ready all the time and continue playing with confidence,” explained Stramaccioni.
It will be a crucial match for Mahdi Ali’s charges as Shabab Al Ahli sit in second place in Group C, two points behind Al Gharafa. “It is important because you need positive points against the leading team. They are a good team technically but we are more experienced in this type of competition. We have analysed their matches and hopefully we can take advantage of their weak points,” said Ali.
After coming off the bench to provide an assist for the equaliser in the last match, Yahya al-Ghassani said he is readily available to help the team when called upon.