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AFC Champions League: Milla’s Al Jazira 100% focused

Al Jazira boss Luis Milla says his side’s 100% focus is on the AFC Champions League competition, as they host Saudi Arabia’s Al Shabab at the Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium on Tuesday night. Speaking ahead of Al Jazira’s second Group A match at a pre-match press conference held in Abu Dhabi, the Spanish coach underlined the importance of securing a victory. “We enter the game in need of a win to make up for our loss in the opening match,” he explained. “Since I have taken charge I have been happy with my team’s performance in the first two games, but the most recent game against Dibba Al Fujairah in the Etisalat Pro League was a bad performance.” Milla has been working 12-hour days to study every aspect of his new squad and their upcoming opponents, and has picked out some key characteristics of the Saudi side they welcome on Tuesday night. “They are able to make a quick transition from defense to attack, and they attack in strong numbers so we will have to be on guard for that,” he observed, adding that it is vital to get a win in front of Al Jazira’s home crowd. Milla also confirmed that Juma Abdulla will not be available for the game due to a knee injury and wished the defender a speedy return to fitness, but his understudy will be more than capable of filling his boots in the game.

 

Visiting coach Michel Preud’homme highlighted the significance an away victory would have for his Al Shabab side in trying to qualify from the group stages. “We want to win, as picking up three points away from home brings us a step closer to progressing out of the group,” the Belgian said at his pre-match press conference. Preud’homme is aware that Al Jazira’s tactics may have changed with the appointment of new coach Luis Milla, adding: “They have altered the way they play since the new manager Milla arrived, but we will adapt and do what we have to in order to overcome the new style and get a positive result from the game.”