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AFC Champions League Match Day 5 Preview

Match Day 5 of the AFC Champions League group stages takes place this Tuesday and Wednesday, and it is crunch time for three of the four participating UAE clubs. In the round’s first fixture involving one of our sides, Al Nasr host the Iranian team Foolad Mobarakeh Sepahan at 8pm on Tuesday at the Al Maktoum Stadium in Dubai. Al Nasr have enjoyed a recent surge in the Etisalat Pro League but unfortunately their good domestic form has not transferred to the continental competition, where they sit bottom of Group C without any points. Al Nasr’s fate in the tournament is already a foregone conclusion as they are not mathematically able to progress to the final 16, but Walter Zenga will not want his players to go out without a fight. Sepahan, who defeated Al Nasr 3-0 in the opening fixture of the group stage, must win to keep up their hopes of progressing in the competition.

Kicking off at 9:50pm (UAE time) on Tuesday night, Al Ain will be in Riyadh to take on Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia in a crucial Group D clash. Al Ain are second in the group, level on 6 points with opponents Al Hilal in third, so the head-to-head will be vital in the pursuit of progression to the final 16. Al Ain wrapped up the Etisalat Pro League title with a 3-0 win over Dubai on Thursday night and will be in buoyant spirits going into the tough away game, knowing that they can now focus their efforts on replicating their domestic form in the AFC Champions League. Coach Cosmin Olaroiu will be able to welcome back Mirel Radoi and Yousef Ahmed following suspension, and Alex Brosque after being rested in the last match, as well as being able to call on the ever-present threat of Asamoah Gyan, who scored a hat-trick in Al Ain’s last outing.

At 7:30pm on Wednesday evening, Al Shabab will welcome Lekhwiya of Qatar to the Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium in Dubai, knowing that anything less than a win will end their chances of progressing from Group B. Lekhwiya were 2-1 winners in the reverse fixture earlier in the competition, but Al Shabab coach Marcos Paqueta will hope the attacking threat of his side will be able to keep their AFC Champions League journey alive.

Finally at 7:45pm on Wednesday, Al Jazira host Tractorsazi Tabriz of Iran at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Al Jazira’s qualification prospects seem all but over as they sit bottom of Group A with just two points, but a win at home could bring them right back into contention. The reverse fixture in February ended in a 3-1 loss in Iran for Al Jazira, but after securing Luis Milla’s first Etisalat Pro League win on Friday, the players will be looking to make it two in a row to record their first group stage victory of the competition.