Riyadh: Al Ahli will have nothing to lose when they take on Al Hilal in the first leg of their AFC Champions League semi-final believes head coach Cosmin Olaroiu as the Dubai-based club prepares to step into unchartered waters.
The team from the United Arab Emirates had never advanced so far in the continental club championship but, thanks to a 3-1 aggregate win over Iran’s Naft Tehran in the quarter-finals, the Romanian coach(pictured) and his players are gearing up for one of the biggest games in the club’s 45-year history.
And with Al Ahli having already surpassed their expectations in the competition, Olaroiu believes his team will be under no pressure when they take on the Saudi giants at the King Fahd International Stadium on Tuesday.
“We are happy to reach this stage and we have nothing to lose as we are playing against a strong team,” said Olaroiu, who previously coached Al Hilal as well as Al Ain, the last club from the UAE to reach the final of the AFC Champions League.
“We have no pressure at all as we are playing against a team who have a good record in the competition.
“Al Hilal are favourites as they have reached this stage several times before while this is the first time that we have reached the semi-finals. Al Hilal returned to their good form recently and they have put some good performances in the recent matches.”
Olaroiu will have a full strength squad to select from, but the club’s key performer is recent signing Lima.
The Brazilian, acquired from Portugal’s Benfica in the summer, has been on an impressive run of form, scoring in both legs of the win over Naft Tehran while transforming the fortunes of Al Ahli after a disappointing season for the club domestically last season.
Lima was also on the scoresheet in the league last week as Al Ahli defeated Dhafra 2-1 to notch up a second win in two games domestically and Olaroiu is hoping his team can put in an even-handed showing against a strong Al Hilal team.
“We will try our best to play with good balance regardless of the defensive or offensive performance of the team,” he said. ”We have built our plans based on the levels of our opponents whom we know very well.
“There is nothing impossible in football despite the fact that Al Hilal are better than us and they are the favourites. However, things will be settled on the pitch tomorrow and hopefully the winners of this encounter will win the title.”
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