Zlatko Dalic has labelled Al Ain’s match against Al Ahli a “must-win” if his side hold any hope of retaining the Arabian Gulf League title.
The UAE champions travel to the Rashid Stadium on Thursday currently second in the table, three points behind Ahli with only four rounds remaining.
Al Ain lost ground to their rivals last Sunday, when they were held at home to a 1-1 draw against Al Nasr. However, with three fixtures against sides at the bottom of the table to come after this week, victory against Ahli would go a significant way to guaranteeing the Garden City club successfully defend their crown.
Al Ain defeated Ahli 3-0 earlier in the season, meaning should they win on Thursday, they would top the standings on the head-to-head rule. Ahli would then be dependent on other results going their way.
Dalic, therefore, is focused on getting the result that ensures his team take a huge step towards a 13th UAE championship.
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“We are playing this match as if we have only one option: we have to win if we want to keep the title,” he said. “That’s why I’ve told the players this is a very important match and that we have to win. The three points are important. I believe the team who wins tomorrow will most likely take the title.”
Dalic expects a much-improved performance than against Nasr, when Al Ain had to rely on Ibrahim Diaky’s late goal to salvage a point. Dalic believes the below-par display could be traced to fatigue, with Al Ain involved in the Asian Champions League group stage. The Nasr match came shortly after their 2-1 victory away to Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli, while next week Al Ain make the trip to Uzbekistan’s Nasaf.
Predictably, Dalic is concentrated only on Thursday’s potential title-decider.
“The nearest mission is the match tomorrow, once that finishes only then we will think about the Champions League,” Dalic said. “All the concentration from the players and I is on tomorrow’s match.
“I believe my players will show a good performance against Al Ahli. Although we did not play well in the Al Nasr match, I know my team — they won’t play as badly two matches in a row. This time they will show a good performance.”
In contrast, Ahli have won their past six league matches, conceding just twice in that time. The 2013/14 UAE champions are seeking a seventh top-flight title, although their position at the summit does not mean they will settle for a share of the spoils against Al Ain, according to coach Cosmin Olaroiu.
“We have to play to win the game, because I don’t know any other way to play,” said the former Al Ain manager. “In my experience I can never tell my players to play for a draw; I don’t know how to do this. Our target is always to win on the pitch.
“I believe that Al Ain are not playing badly; it was a case that Al Nasr played very well. Playing against Al Ahli is the most important game in the league for Al Ain so this will bring a lot of motivation and a different spirit, so we cannot compare how they played in the last game to how they will play against us. We cannot keep their last performance in mind.”
Olaroiu, though, has warned his side that victory against Al Ain does not mean the title celebrations can begin. After this round, Ahli face Nasr, Baniyas and bottom club Al Shaab.
“Even if we win, nothing is finished,” he said. “We have other difficult games still to come, and if somebody knows that they will give us the trophy after this game then this would be very good. But of course this is not the case. Winning is an important option towards concluding the title race, but nothing is final.”
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