Al Ain take on Al Hilal today with AFC semis berth at stake

A confident Al Ain, boosted by return of Omar Abdulrahman, will take on Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal in the return leg of the AFC Champions League quarter-finals at King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh on Monday night.

As no team could find a breakthrough in the first leg at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain will have to score and then defend the lead or at least earn a draw. No goals on Monday will see the winner being decided on penalties.

And one man, who holds sway in such situations, is 'Amoory', who was out with an injury. The stage is set for the star to script yet another wining story.

Will he play or not, remains to be seen. However, the Al Ain playmaker is among the 20 named in the squad picked by coach Zoran Mamic.

Before leaving for Riyadh, Abdulrahman had said the players were "fully focused" on the match and had just one aim and one ambition.

"This is our aim. We are now closer to achieving our goal," 'Amoory', the tournament's joint top-scorer, said.

Lending support to his dreams are the strike force of Dyanfres Douglas and Marcus Berg. Douglas, who missed a penalty last season, is under pressure. The Brazilian had put a great performance in the first leg match in Al Ain and he will look to follow it up with a goal on Monday night. Midfielders Caio Lucas and Mohammed Abdulrahman were alert to chances and perfect with crosses against Al Hilal. A repeat performance will ensure a positive result for Al Ain.

However, with the likes of Omar Khribin, Carlos Eduardo and Nawaf Al Abed in the opposition, Al Ain's defence remains a worry.

Defender Mohanad Salem is out with a suspension after a needless challenge in the first leg.

However, Ismail Ahmed is confident the team will achieving the continental ambitions.

"We need efforts from every player to realise our dream. And players are willing to sacrifice everything to reach the semi-finals," he said.

Come Monday, and Al Ain will go the extra mile to qualify.

Source: Khaleej Times