■ Al Wahda v Al Rayyan (Qatar), Monday at 7.35pm at Al Nahyan Stadium in Abu Dhabi
ABU DHABI // Javier Aguirre, the Al Wahda manager, said his team will fight all the way to the end in the Asian Champions League despite a disappointing campaign of collecting one point from four games.
Wahda are mathematically not out of the race. They need to win their remaining two games and hope for some favourable results from the other matches for a passage to the last 16 stage from Group D.
They meet Qatar’s Al Rayyan, who are aiming for their first qualification to the knockout round, Monday at the Al Nahyan stadium.
“We have had a poor ACL and obviously are very disappointed,” Aguirre said. “Our objective is to win the next two games and then expect some miracle to happen with results from the other games that can favour us.”
Aguirre spoke of the experience his young players have gained from the playing in the ACL.
“That’s a positive we can take forward from our participation in the continental championship,” he said. “We will play with our core players with the intention of winning the three points against Rayyan.”
Rayyan are second behind Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia.
“We are here to play a very important match,” said Michael Laudrup, the Rayyan manager.
“We know it will be a very difficult game for us. We won the first game against Wahda 2-1 at home, and it was a very tight game. I expect a similar game tomorrow.”
Mohammad Abdulbasit is serving a one-match suspension for Wahda but Sultan Al Ghafri returns after serving his ban.
apassela@thenational.ae
Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE
Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNationalSport
