Coach Giorgos Donis is confident two-time Asian champions Al Hilal from Saudi Arabia can rebound from their last-gasp draw with Al Jazira last month when they host the Emirati club in the AFC Champions League on Wednesday.
Al Hilal, who won the Asian Club Championship in 1991 and 2000, were denied the chance to move to the top of Group C on Matchday Three as Fares Juma’s late equaliser earned Al Jazira a 1-1 draw at Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium.
Juma’s header in the final seconds of the game cancelled out Ailton’s ninth minute opener to ensure a share of the points as Iran’s Tractorsazi Tabriz moved to the top the standings at the midway point of the group stage.
“I’m really disappointed with the result and the performance of some players,” said Al Hilal coach Georgios Donis following the draw with Al Jazira last month before seeing his side beat Al Khaleej 3-0 in the Saudi Professional League on Saturday.
“Al Jazira played with great fighting spirit and this is what we missed, especially because we dominated the match in the first half.
“We were the better side in everything and we should have won due to the chances that we created but we failed to score. From all the teams in the group, we are the better side and we should finish on top of it.”
Also in Group C on Wednesday, Tractorsazi will look to bounce back from their 1-0 defeat to Pakhtakor in Tashkent against the Uzbekistan champions at Yadegar-e Emam Stadium with theIranians currently a point clear of Al Hilal at the top of the table.
Elsewhere, two-time Asian Club Championship winners Suwon Samsung Bluewings of Korea Republic face a return meeting with Australia’s Melbourne Victory in Group G with Seo Jung-won’s side eyeing a first win of the campaign at Suwon World Cup Stadium.
“Although we are still in the bottom of our group, we still have two home games and I think we still have a good chance to qualify to the next round,” said Seo following the goalless draw in Melbourne on Matchday Three.
In Wednesday’s other Group G tie, leaders Shanghai SIPG travel to Japan to face Gamba Osaka with the Chinese Super League side looking to add to last month’s 2-1 victory over the J.League side at Shanghai Stadium.
In Group E, China’s Jiangsu FC also face J.League opposition in FC Tokyo following a goalless draw between the pair in Japan last month.
Group E leaders Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, meanwhile, are aiming to solidify their position at the top of the standings when the K-League Classic champions travel to Vietnamese counterparts Becamex Binh Duong.
The 2006 champions are currently on a four game unbeaten streak in all competitions after beating Jeju United 2-1 on Saturday in the K-League Classic having beaten Binh Duong 2-0 in the AFC Champions League on Matchday Three, which leaves Choi Kang-hee’s side currently a point clear of Jiangsu at the top of the table.
Finally in the West, two-time AFC Champions League winners Al Ittihad will look to claim their first win of the 2016 campaign when they are hosted by Group A leaders Al Nasr of the United Arab Emirates.
Last month, Saudi Arabia’s Al Ittiahd were rocked by a Nilmar brace as they lost 2-1 to the Emirati side in Jeddah, adding to their opening back-to-back draws with Uzbekistan’s Lokomotiv.
And Al Ittihad will also be without the suspended Sulley Muntari after the Ghana midfielder picked up his second yellow card of the competition on Matchday Three.
Lokomotiv, meanwhile, will be aiming to take a giant leap towards their first appearance in the knockout stage when the Uzbek side host Sepahan having already defeated the Iranians 2-0 in Isfahan.
Photo: Lagardère Sports
Source: the-afc.com