UAE champions Al Ain kick off their 2019 Asian Champions League campaign on Tuesday when they host Saudi Arabian champions Al Hilal.
The game has the added twist of seeing Zoran Mamic take charge of an opposing team at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium 10 months after guiding the Garden City club to historic league-and-cup double in 2017/18.
Mamic, 47, stepped down as Al Ain manager in January to replace Jorge Jesus at Al Hilal. Spaniard Juan Carlos Garrido will be the man in charge of Al Ain for Tuesday's Group C encounter.
Al Ain will be denied a double reunion as playmaker Omar Abdulrahman is unavailable as he continues his recover from knee surgery. Here is all you need to know ahead of the match.
Who?
Al Ain are placed alongside Saudi Arabia title holders Al Hilal as well as Qatar's Al Duhail and Esteghlal of Iran Group C this year's Asian Champions League. Al Ain, the only team from the Emirates to have lifted the Asian Champions League, in 2003, face two-time champions Al Hilal at home in their opening match while Esteghlal travel to Doha.
Where does the match take place?
Tuesday's match takes place at Al Ain's 25,000-seater Hazza bin Zayed Stadium. Kick off is slated for 7.20pm.
Form guide
Al Ain's recent form is a cause for concern. Last Thursday's defeat to Shabab Al Ahli Dubai saw them fall eight points behind Arabian Gulf League leaders Sharjah. More worrying for new manager Garrido is that the last six matches has yielded only two wins across in all competitions, with the Spaniard's record from his two games in charge reading won one and lost one.
Al Hilal, by contrast, are unbeaten in seven matches since Mamic took charge at the start of February, winning six with one draw coming against Ittihad Alexandria in the Arab Club Championship.
The Riyadh club, winners of Asian club football's premier tournament in 1991 and 2000, are six points clear at the top of their domestic league.
Key players
Marcus Berg continues to be the main source of goals for Al Ain. The Sweden striker's 13 strikes in 18 games this term is a healthy return by anyone's standards, although a quick glance at the Arabian Gulf League scoring charts sees him trail the division's 17-goal top marksman Ali Mabkhout by seven.
Veteran centre-back Ismail Ahmed continues to marshal the defence in front of UAE No 1 goalkeeper Khalid Eisa, while further forward Amer Abdulrahman and Ahmed Barman will be expected to be the main supply route for Berg.
Much like Al Ain, Hilal's main goal threat comes from a European player with some pedigree. Former Lyon, Swansea City and Galatasaray striker Bafetimbi Gomis has scored 17 top-flight goals and laid on seven assists for his Hilal teammates as they look to defend their Saudi Pro League crown.
The club's attacking ranks were further bolstered in January with the signing of Italy forward Sebastian Giovinco from Toronto FC and the former Juventus player has three goals from as many games since moving to the Saudi capital.
Recent meetings
The pair met twice in the group stages of last year's competition, with Al Ain earning a 0-0 draw in Riyad before winning the return fixture 2-1 thanks to a pair of Marcus Berg penalties in an encounter that saw Mohamed Abdulrahman was sent off late in the game.
The two sides also met in the 2017 competition with Al Hilal advancing to the semi-finals 3-0 aggregate winners after holding Al Ain to a goalless draw in the first leg.
Tickets
You can book tickets for the match at http://alainclub.ae/fc/en/tickets-cards-2/.
TV
You can watch selected matches on BeIN Sports.
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Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
