Al Ain resume their Asian Champions League campaign on Tuesday with their match against Uzbekistan’s Bunyodkor in Tashkent.
Looking to bounce back
Runners-up in last year’s competition, Al Ain were held last week at home 1-1 by Iran’s Zobahank to open their Group C account. The 2003 champions, the only UAE club to lift the trophy, are seeking to make up for their agonising defeat in the Champions League final in November, when they were defeated 3-2 on aggregate by South Korea’s Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.
Aiming for all three points
“As a team, Al Ain’s personality is linked to its offensive style, and its players have an offensive mindset,” Al Ain manager Zoran Mamic said. “Bunyodkor has exceptional players who are fast and play well collectively. So I expect a tough match from them. We require our players to focus more and be careful, in addition to showing a strong personality and the desire to win.”
Last year is past history
“There are no problems whatsoever,” Mamic said. “The Champions League final was in November and it is only normal for our performance to be slower after the finals. But the real problem lies in the recent injury to a number of key players. We have three international defenders who have suffered injuries after the Asian Champions League final, in addition to Danilo Asprilla, who will be back on the team today.”
Asprilla targets impact
The winger is finally available again following an injury, saying: ”Al Ain has high technical quality in the team and, with all due respect to all other teams, we seek to show our strong personality in the Asian Champions League. We are here to play total football, and show Al Ain’s power in the Asian Champions League as there is no limit to the ambitions of every player in this competition. We hope to achieve the best results that will allow us to fulfil our ambitions.”
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