Al Ahli seek to change their pattern at home against Tractor Sazi in Asian Champions League

Abdelaziz Haikal and his Al Ahli teammates will be looking to leap over Tractor Sazi tonight and into the next round of the Asian Champions League. Ashraf Al Amra / Al Ittihad

DUBAI // Oussama Assaidi said Al Ahli will use the frustration from their most recent Asian Champions League match to serve as motivation as they seek to secure a place in the knockout stages for the first time in their history.

The Dubai club entertain Iran’s Tractor Sazi at the Rashid Stadium tonight knowing only victory will provide them any chance of progressing to the last 16.

With one match remaining, Ahli sit third in Group D, two points behind Nasaf, the Uzbekistan side who host Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli on Tuesday night.

The latter have already qualified as winners of the pool.

Should Nasaf fail to win, Cosmin Olaroiu’s men can advance with victory since they hold a superior head-to-head record.

Ahli would have been in a much more comfortable position had they triumphed against their Saudi namesakes two weeks ago.

Leading 1-0 in Jeddah, they were reduced to 10 men just after the hour, when Majed Hassan was mistakenly sent off for a foul committed by Everton Ribeiro.

The home side responded to win 2-1, courtesy of a stoppage-time strike from Bruno Cesar.

Yet Assaidi said the circumstances of that defeat will galvanise his teammates in the group’s final match with Tractor Sazi.

“Of course, because the three points were taken from us,” he said. “With 11 men we would have won this game.

“The referee killed us, gave a red to someone else. So we lost that game when we didn’t deserve to.

“Now we have to keep going and try to win against Tractor. We then hope [Saudi’s] Ahli can do a job in the other match.

“We have the last chance to qualify and so have to do our job, which is to win.”

To achieve that, Ahli need to break a sequence of five consecutive home draws in the Champions League.

They will be without the suspended Hassan – the appeal to have his red card rescinded was rejected – and Majed Naser.

Habib Fardan and Abdulaziz Haikal are again available, though, having served suspensions.

Tractor Sazi have little to play for after the 2-1 defeat to Nasaf in Matchday 5 eliminated them from the competition.

They have yet to register an away victory in Asia in eight attempts, although they top their domestic league.

In contrast, Ahli are seventh in the Arabian Gulf League following a hugely disappointing title defence.

Assaidi maintains they can still salvage something from the season.

“We’re improving every game,” he said. “If we win this important match we’ll be all right.

“We are professionals and we have to keep going.

“We have the President’s Cup and the Champions league to contest, so we must keep fighting.”

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