Al Ain v Al Ahli — Champions League last-16 second leg: Key match-up, preview and prediction

John McAuley looks at the key match-ups for Al Ain and Al Ahli's Asian Champions League last-16 second leg at the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium.

A goalless first leg means there is still all to play for at the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium. Pawan Singh / The National

John McAuley looks at the matchup for Al Ain and Al Ahli’s Asian Champions League last-16 second leg at the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium.

Key Battle

Lee Myjung-joo v Everton Ribeiro

Al Ain’s holding midfielder has enjoyed a superb debut season, acting as the perfect shield to his side’s backline. He will need to keep a tight leash on Ribeiro, though, with the Brazilian sure to carry Ahli’s attacking threat as they search for a precious away goal.

Tactics

It is difficult to imagine Al Ain going all out for an early goal, especially since Zlatko Dalic has warned his players to be wary of the counter-attack — not conceding is crucial to their chances. Ahli are expected to sit back, encourage Al Ain forward and then seek to utilise Ismail Al Hammadi’s pace on the break.

Preview: Zlatko Dalic calls on Al Ain to 'give everything' in Champions League decider with Al Ahli

Form

The sides had contrasting results at the weekend, with Al Ain losing their grip on the President’s Cup after a 1-0 defeat to Al Nasr. Ahli, meanwhile, emerged victorious from their match with Dubai club, although they were taken all the way to penalties. The extra exertion may be a factor here.

What they say

Omar Abdulrahman (Al Ain)

“Of course, it’s the final game of our season, a very important match for the players, the staff, the administration, the whole club. We have a lot of respect for Al Ahli, but hopefully we will get the win. I’m expecting a full stadium because we need a push from everyone inside.”

Luis Jimenez (Al Ahli)

“For sure, it’ll be a strong game — the same as the previous matches against them, but we’re ready. We have confidence we can win. We’re very happy we reached this stage for the first time, but we’re not going to stop there, we’re going to go further and reach the next stage.”

The National’s verdict

Matches between the UAE’s two most talented squads are always tight, with the four meetings this season producing four goals altogether, with one win for each side. This time, Al Ain will edge it 2-1. Expect it to be a tense and tetchy encounter, though.

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