Two goals up and a clean sheet. Having overcome Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia 2-0 in the home leg, Al Ain need only to keep their cool for 90 minutes, and a place in the Asian Champions League semi-finals is theirs.
That they find themselves in this strong situation in the tie is no surprise.
Sure, Zlatko Dalic’s team may have had a poor domestic campaign last season, finishing sixth in the Arabian Gulf League. And in the group stage of Asia’s premier club competition, they failed to beat their Saudi opponents in two attempts, losing 2-1 away and drawing 1-1 at home.
Yet, Ittihad produced a worse domestic campaign than Al Ain. They finished sixth in the Saudi top flight, winning a mere eight matches from 26, and finishing a full 33 points behind the champions Al Nasar.
At least 2013/14 ended on a high note for Al Ain, with the President’s Cup win over Al Ahli and Champions League progress past Al Jazira in the last 16.
Should that upturn continue tonight, they can expect sterner opposition than Ittihad in the next round: Saudi Professional League runners-up Al Hilal, or the team they lead 1-0 in the other Western Zone quarter-final, Qatar’s Al Sadd.
Dalic spent three successful years at Al Hilal and will be hoping his experience of the Saudi League will prove decisive tonight, and potentially in the last four. Still, last season’s inconsistent form means Al Ain will not be overly confident defending a two-goal lead.
Incredibly, the club’s 2-1 win at home to Baniyas on April 6 (the 22nd of a 26-match league season), was the first time they had posted consecutive league wins in the campaign. In the Champions League group stages, too, they failed to win two matches on the bounce.
Not surprisingly with that in mind, Dalic was quick to call for caution after last week’s excellent win.
“So we need to forget about this result and start preparing for the next game,” he said. “Yes, we have a 2-0 result with us and I congratulate my players for an excellent game, but we have not achieved anything yet.”
The Croat must know, however, that Champions League elimination from this position is not something the club and their expectant fans are contemplating.
The whole complexion of Al Ain’s season would suddenly take on a negative slant, and it is no exaggeration to say that Dalic’s job will be under threat two weeks before the start of the Arabian Gulf League.
In last Tuesday’s first-leg match at Hazza Stadium, Al Ain overwhelmed Ittihad with a fine display of attacking football. Newly-signed Slovakian Miroslav Stoch brilliantly dovetailed with Omar Abdulrahman, Jires Kembo Ekoko and Asamoah Gyan. The Saudi team could not cope with the movement in attack.
Two goals and a clean sheet mean Al Ain should step out at King Abdulaziz Sport City stadium tonight in a confident, patient frame of mind.
There will be no need to chase the game as they did last week, and an away goal – meaning Al Ittihad would need four to qualify – should all but guarantee a place in the last four.
So does Dalic go looking for the killer goal or avoid any risk and set up his team defensively?
The first option may prove tempting. The coach certainly has the firepower at his disposal.
In Gyan, he has a striker who has been sensational in this year’s Champions League: 11 goals so far, including last week’s effort as well as two against the same opponents in the group stage.
Ittihad’s defenders, still recovering from their ordeal at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, will not be looking forward to facing him so soon afterwards.
The Ghanaian World Cup star says the Champions League is one of the reasons he came to Al Ain. This may be his – and Al Ain’s – best shot at success since the club lost the 2005 final.
Their opponents back then? Ittihad of Saudi Arabia.
akhaled@thenational.ae
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