Al Nasr host Uzbekistan’s Lokomotiv on Wednesday in their penultimate Asian Champions League Group A fixture. Victory will seal their spot in the knockout stages for the first time.
Group scenario
Al Nasr are second, one point behind Lokomotiv. They come into the match on the back of three-game unbeaten streak in Asia, while last Friday's 5-2 win against Baniyas lifted them to third in the Arabian Gulf League with three rounds remaining. Lokomotiv, meanwhile, are only five fixtures into their domestic campaign, but top the table on goal difference having registered four wins and a draw. Al Ittihad and Sepahan make up the group.
See also: Amith Passela – Al Nasr play it safe while Al Jazira crash out of Asian Champions League
Surprise package
“At the start of this competition, we were not the favourites to qualify, but we worked hard to do that and now we have the chance to proceed,” Nasr manager Ivan Jovanovic said. “We have a chance to qualify and the reason is because we have a very good team. But above all, I have players who have targets and want to achieve something for the team and for themselves. So the message is work hard, believe in this, insist on what you do, and in the end you will get the rewards you deserve.”
Opposition threat
“In my opinion, Lokomotiv arrive now as the freshest team in the competition,” Jovanovic said. “Having played five games in the Uzbek league and four in the ACL, you can see they’re in very good condition and very good form in comparison to us, Al Ittihad and Sepahan – teams at the end of their league season. They are a very disciplined and play on the counter-attack. It’s not a team that you can create many chances against.”
Game aim
“Of course, our target is to try to win because if we win for sure we will qualify for the next round,” Jovanovic said. “Maybe we will need to wait on the other result between Al Ittihad and Sepahan to see about qualification. We expect to have a tough game tomorrow, but we expect to play as good as we did in the last three Champions League games. Also we expect to have the support of our fans in a very important game for the club.”
Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE
Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNationalSport
