Zlatko Dalic, the Al Ain coach, said on Monday that recent meetings with Al Ittihad would have no bearing on Tuesday night's clash, as the two sides compete for a place in the semi-finals of the Asian Champions League.
The UAE club host their Saudi Arabian counterparts at the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium in the first leg of the last-eight encounter, with the tie to be settled next week in Jeddah.
Al Ain twice faced Ittihad en route to the quarter-finals, losing 2-1 away in the initial Group D tussle in March, before holding their rivals to a 1-1 draw in the Garden City. Al Ain eventually finished top of the pool, with Ittihad second.
The 11-time UAE champions have tasted Champions League glory before, lifting the title in 2003, but they are seeking to progress to the last four for the first time since 2005. That year they reached the final but were defeated by Ittihad.
Just as he dismissed the idea that Al Ain are out for revenge, Dalic denied that the matches earlier this year would affect the latest contest.
“We did not win against Ittihad, but now it is a different game,” he said. “Ittihad know everything about my team, but so do we about them. On the pitch, there will be a fight. When the game starts, you forget everything.
“It is a quarter-final, you do not have an excuse not to give everything and do your best. We are maybe not in our best situation now, but I do not want to give excuses. I am ready and my players are ready.”
Dalic said that Ittihad, who are two rounds into their domestic season, may be in better shape physically – the new UAE campaign does not kick off until September 12 – but Al Ain come into the match on the back of intense training camps in Italy and Austria.
Dalic has a full squad to choose from, with Lee Myjung-joo, the South Korean midfielder signed this summer, eligible despite representing Pohang Steelers earlier in the competition.
In Asamoah Gyan, Al Ain boast the tournament’s top goalscorer, with 10 goals, to give the manager further confidence of progression.
“It will be difficult, but I believe in my team,” Dalic said. “We are a great team with great spirit. We are in a good place.
“In Ittihad, I expect a big team with big tradition, but I believe in my players. Semi-final is our dream. Tomorrow will be the first half – I hope we do not concede a goal.”
Key to that will be Khaled Essa, the Al Ain goalkeeper, who believes this summer’s rigorous regime provides his side the conviction to get the desired result.
“The preparations in Italy, Austria and here have helped us achieve the required level, and they motivate us to give a strong performance,” Essa said.
“We promise to do our best to make everyone in the UAE happy, as we are representing not just our club but the whole country. We have a lot off faith in our abilities to get the desired result.”
jmcauley@thenational.ae
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