Dubai Knights seeks to enhance its chances of reaching the Round of 16

Youth Al-Ahly asks for the 9th point in the "comma" in Pakhtakor

Eid Khamis, Ahmed Al-Attas and Majid Hassan shine remarkably with the youth of Al-Ahly.

From the source

Al-Ahly youth play a decisive confrontation, when they meet Pakhtakor of Uzbekistan, in the fifth round of group two matches of the AFC Champions League, at 10 pm at Al Janoub Stadium, as the Dubai Knights strive to achieve their third successive victory, to enhance their chances of qualifying for the round of 16.

Al-Ahly youth need to win with a goal without a response, to compensate for their loss 2-1 in the first leg against Pakhtakor, as the victory of Shabab Al-Ahly with one goal or with a score greater than two goals, will give the team the advantage if the two teams are equal in points after the sixth round.

"Dubai Knights" occupies third place in Group Two with six points, following the victory on Monday and Thursday over Iran's Shahir Khodro with the same score with no response.

On the other hand, Pakhtakor occupies second place with seven points, while the group itself leads Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia with 10 points, as the defending champion will play an easy match against bottom-ranked Shaher Khodro, while the group matches will be concluded next Wednesday, with the matches of Shaher Khodro against Pakhtakor and Al Hilal with Shabab Al Ahly.

Shabab Al-Ahly will have no alternative but to win, to preserve the chances of qualifying, while their chances diminish in the event of a tie with Pakhtakor, and the competition is officially deposited in the event of losing.

The Spanish coach Zaragoza will face a problem in choosing the squad to face today, especially since the list witnesses the absence of Youssef Jaber and Mohamed Marzouq due to suspension, while he regains the services of Abdullah Al-Naqbi, who was absent for the same reason from the match of the Iranian team.

The return of Al-Naqbi is a very important factor of strength, especially since the team retreated in the Shaher Khodro match, as Al-Naqbi plays a major role in defense and stops the opponent's attacks, while coach Zaragoza seeks to prepare the substitutes to compensate for the absence of Marzouq and Jaber, as Muhammad Jaber and Salmin Khamis stand out, while The participation of Abdulaziz Sanqour would be an adventure, especially since he is finally returning from the injury that kept him away from the team in the last two seasons.

For his part, Zaragoza confirmed that Al-Ahly youth will only have to play with the goal of winning, pointing out that the match will not be easy.

He said in a press conference: “The team achieved the most important thing, by winning its two matches against Shaher Khodro,” stressing that the players ’performance is very good, given that they have not played any official match for six months, while he explained that the confrontation with Pakhtakor will be different, especially with The two teams have the incentive to win.

The Spanish coach pointed out that the technical staff focused on equipping the players from the physical point of view, especially that the team plays a match every three days, stressing that Al-Ahly youth knows the importance and difficulty of the match, and its impact on the journey of "Dubai Knights" in the continental championship.

Ranking of the second group

1- Hilal (10 points).

2- Pakhtakor (7).

3- Youth of Al-Ahly (6).

4- Shaher Khodro (0).

There is no substitute for Al-Ahly youth to win today, as a draw reduces their chances, and losing officially removes them from the tournament.

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