Cosmin Olaroiu warns Al Ahli to expect a ‘different, more motivated’ Al Jazira

Al Ahli coach Cosmin Olaroiu expects Al Jazira to ignore their recent poor form and raise their game by '200 times'. AFP

DUBAI // Cosmin Olaroiu has warned his Al Ahli players not to underestimate Al Jazira when the two teams meet at the Rashid Stadium on Monday night.

Both sides were expected to compete for the Arabian Gulf League title this season, but Jazira have begun badly with returning coach Abel Braga at the helm, winning two matches from eight. Currently 11th in the table, the capital club have not tasted victory in 10 weeks, while new foreign signings Thiago Neves, Jefferson Farfan and Park Jong-woo have yet to spark.

Ahli, though, boast a 100 per cent record in the competition to sit second, four points off leaders Al Ain, although they have three games in hand. Earlier this month, they became the first UAE club in a decade to contest the Asian Champions League final.

[Al Ahli's Ahmed Khalil wants to win AFC Player of the Year award for 'whole of the UAE']

Olaroiu still expects a tough encounter against Jazira, especially since Ahli’s continental exploits have made the Dubai side arguably the country’s prize scalp.

“You see in all the games, when a team play against Al Ahli they play 200 per cent from their possibilities,” Olaroiu said. “They are more motivated, they fight more, they play like they have to play all the time.

“That’s why I expect Jazira not to be Jazira that you see in the games before, but to be a different team, very aggressive, very motivated. My work and my fight is to put in the head of the players that, what they see until now, will be different in our game.​

“Jazira are a big club. Of course, changing players is not easy to remain in the same level, but they’ll be very motivated and this can compensate for the problems they have. That’s why it’s our job to treat and judge Jazira on what we expect them to be, not what they are now.”

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