Al Sadd will face a formidable challenge when they take on Al Ain in their AFC Champions League Elite opener today at 7pm the Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain.
Al Ain will be seeking to create more history. Winners of the inaugural edition of the AFC Champions League in 2003, the Emirati side brought the curtains down on the prestigious tournament by lifting the trophy again in its final season and will leave no stone unturned in their bid to be the first victors of the AFC Champions League Elite.
Hernan Crespo’s side will be determined to hit the ground running despite the domestic season still in its infancy stage. While the Emirati club started their season with four points from two matches, history is against them as they are winless against sides from Qatar in their last six games on the continental stage.
Al Sadd, however, will go into the tie having lost 3-1 to Umm Salal on Friday in the Qatar Stars League, their second defeat in four matches. The reigning Qatar champions have also not won their last five opening matches on the continental stage, with four of them ending in draws.
But coach Felix Sanchez was confident his side will get off to a good start this time. “We are looking forward to a positive start in the prestigious competition. Our preparations were short but all the players are excited and determined to give a good show,” Sanchez said on Sunday.
“Al Ain are a very strong side having a good coach and players. It is going to be a big challenge in front of their home fans. But we also have a good side and we are confident of giving our best,” the Spaniard added.
Meanwhile, Al Gharafa will open their campaign in Iran against Esteghlal at 9pm today. Both teams will be desperate to shake off their inconsistent form as they have struggled to get going domestically and will have to find their best form if they are to hit the ground running at the Shahr-e Qods Stadium. Esteghlal will hope to make home ground advantage count, with the two meeting for the first time since they clashed in the group stage of the AFC Champions League in 2010.
Esteghal won the home tie then 3-0 but the Iran side have only triumphed once in their last seven opening matches on the continental stage. Al Gharafa were held 1-1 by Al Shamal in their Qatar Stars League tie on Friday, the result taking them to five points from four matches.
They will, however, draw on the high of having defeated UAE side Shabab Al Ahli in the preliminary stage to get a result against their Iranian opponents.
The Champions League Elite is a new format that splits 24 teams evenly into two groups of East and West. Each team will play eight different opponents in the group stage. The top eight teams from each zone will play in the last 16 over two legs in March, before the action moves to the final stages in Saudi Arabia from April 25 to May 4.
Coach Felix Sanchez was confident Al Sadd will get off to a good start against Al Ain.
