Upbeat Sadd ready for Al Wasl, Gharafa to meet Persepolis

Al Sadd look to take their winning streak to six against hosts Al Wasl in the AFC Champions League Elite 2024-25 tie at the Zabeel Stadium today.The hosts Al Wasl will have to produce their best if they are to deny Al Sadd who are on seven points, are one ahead of them and a win for either will be a tremendous boost to their hopes of advancing to the knockout stage.The Wolves have played three matches so far and have won two of them. They have earned seven points in this Elite-level Asian competition.The Qatar club drew their first game against Al-Ain 1-1. Since then they have managed to win all their matches, be it in the Champions League or their domestic league – Qatar Stars League."It’s going to be a tough match against Al Wasl. We have been good so far in the Champions League collecting seven points from three matches and we are looking forward to maintaining our strong pace,” Al Sadd coach Felix Sanchez said yesterday.Talking about new signing Algerian international Adam Ounas, Sanchez said: "Adam is a good player and he is a strong addition to the team. We will see the extent of his ability to participate in the match in order to help us compete strongly in the match.”Two wins out of three mean Al Wasl have matched their best ever start to a continental campaign but they go into the tie with the odds against them.Al Sadd defender Romain Saiss is aware of the UAE club’s strength in the competition."Al Wasl is a good team and it will be a high quality match. We are happy with such games and we have been well prepared for them. Our goal is to come out with a positive result, which is a victory. Al Wasl do well especially in the Champions League competition, and the match will be at its home stadium. We know the strength and difficulty of the match.”The reigning UAE champions have won just one of their last seven home matches (W1 L6) on the continental stage and have suffered defeat in their last three home ties. Al Sadd, seeking a spot in the knockout stage after failing to advance the last three seasons, will fancy their chances of another three points.Not only have the 2011 AFC Champions League winners won both of their previous meetings with Al Wasl but also have a proud record of being unbeaten in their last 13 matches against teams from the UAE, with their last defeat coming in 2005.Al Gharafa vs PersepolisQatar’s Al Gharafa also arrived in Dubai for their match against Persepolis FC of Iran to be played at the Al Makhtoum Stadium today with both teams desperately needing a win."We are ready for the match as we will play against a strong side. Our aim is to win and get three valuable points. Our last victory in the Qatar Stars League was a positive push for the players,” Al Gharafa coach Pedro Martins said.With only the top eight teams to advance to the knockout stage, Qatar’s Al Gharafa sit in seventh on three points while Persepolis are two adrift in 10th spot.Al Gharafa’s impressive 4-2 win against Al Ain FC of the UAE was undone by their 2-1 defeat to Al Wasl on Matchday Three and the Qatar side have to bounce back if they are to stay on track for the next stage. The records, however, are against them as Al Gharafa have lost their last four away matches (including neutral venues) on the continental stage.Persepolis will be equally desperate to revive their campaign, with the two-time AFC Champions League runners-up still seeking their first win of the season.The 1-0 defeat to Qatar’s Al Sadd SC earlier extended their winless run on the continent to six games, their longest stretch ever without a victory.