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Doha
Two-time semi-finalists Al Sadd are excited and eager to take on Iran’s Persepolis FC in the Round of 16 clash of the 2020 AFC Champions League at the Education City Stadium on Sunday.
“We are very excited, we want to win and reach the quarter-finals. We will play against Persepolis, which is the best Iranian team, and it will be a difficult game, like a final, for us,” said Al Sadd coach Xavi Hernandez.
The former Barcelona player and legend added: “It will be an excellent game and a great opportunity to qualify for the quarter-finals. We respect Persepolis and we will not forget that they knocked us out in the 2018 semi-finals.”
“We must play with balance and great passion in order to get the win. We hope to achieve this by giving our best on the pitch. Our priority in the match against Sepahan was to rest some players after qualifying, but for Persepolis, they needed to qualify.”
He added: “We will face a strong and difficult team. We will play for possession and control of the match, and this is a key point for us. We have an advantage with the rest that the players got, but we must be fully prepared.”
Calling for passion from his players, Xavi said, “I’ve told the players that the most spirited matches that I have faced in my career are always against Iranian teams, including Persepolis, who play with great enthusiasm. So we need to play with a lot of passion, like it’s a final and always be focused throughout the match, even if we reach the penalty shootout. Otherwise, we will struggle to achieve what we are looking for, which is going to the quarter-finals.”
Al Sadd will be playing at full strength: “All the players of the team are fully prepared and there are no absentees,” noted Xavi.
As for playing at Education City Stadium after playing the previous four games at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium, the coach said: “Education City Stadium is a big stadium, but it does not change the way we play. Everything is excellent; the conditions are perfect and the weather is very good and it is time to give our best to qualify for the next round.”
Persepolis have made it to the knockout stage for the sixth time in their history, their most recent effort taking them all the way to the final of the 2018 edition, which they lost to Kashima Antlers of Japan.
This time around, Persepolis needed a win on Matchday Six to confirm passage from Group C, and they delivered in style after beating UAE Pro League side Sharjah 4-0. “We face a difficult encounter against a strong and organised Al Sadd team,” said Persepolis captain Seyed Jalal Hosseini.
“All teams in the AFC Champions League are strong and we know Al Sadd have some really good players especially in attack, but we have intelligent analysts who will do well to analyse the opponents and the coaching staff will help us prepare well. It will be a tough game for both sides.”
The two sides last locked horns in the 2018 AFC Champions League semi-finals.
Persepolis took home a valuable 1-0 win from Jassim bin Hamad Stadium courtesy of a late Ali Alipour penalty, and they were able to hold to a 1-1 draw at Azadi Stadium three weeks later as Siamak Nemati cancelled out Baghdad Bounedjah’s goal for Al Sadd, sending Persepolis into their first-ever final.
Al Sadd cruised to the 2020 AFC Champions League Round of 16 with a game to spare, and after losing to Al Ain on Matchday Six, they finished second in Group C behind Al Nassr with nine points. The Qatari side boast the strongest attack in the competition with 14 goals to their name so far.
Qatar’s most successful side in the AFC Champions League, Al Sadd have appeared in the competition on 13 occasions, reaching the knockout stage six times prior to 2020, winning the title in 2011 and reaching the semi-finals in 2018 and 2019.
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27/09/2020
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