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The Boss gear up for stern Zob Ahan test

Abu Dhabi - Omar can finish game with one good pass: Golmohammadi

Al Ain face a 'tough game' against top Iranian team Zob Ahan in the Round 16 of AFC Champions League at the Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium on Wednesday night.
HBZ Stadium will see battle of strategies between Al Ain manager Zlatko Dalic and Iranian counterpart Yahya Golmohammadi.
 Dalic is aware of the Iranian side's attacking prowess and their resolute defensive capabilities. He will bank on his back four to come good and make the most of counter attacks.
"Zob Ahan are a very strong team. They are disciplined and do a lot of running. They have scored some impressive goals in the group stage and conceded just twice. It will be a tough game for us," Dalic said at the Press conference in the HBZ stadium on Tuesday.
 Golmohammadi is wary of the trouble playmaker Omar Abdulrahman can create in front of the goal.
"We will have a hard game against Al Ain. They have dangerous players like Omar. All he needs is just one second to give a good pass and finish the game. Al Ain are very creative team and have players with good technique. Little space is enough for them to make an impact."
 "We have a very motivated young team and tomorrow they must fight against a top team. Al Ain can create problems for any team as they are one of the best sides in Asia. We will have to go out and fight as we have worked very hard to get here. I'm sure tomorrow you will see a good game," he added.
Also, with the President's Cup semi-final against Bani Yas on Saturday and the return leg of the AFC Champions League on May 25, Dalic will have to use his boys diligently. The Croat will be banking on the likes of Omar, Colombian winger Danilo Asprilla and Brazilian Dyanfres Douglas to make an impact. The trio had played crucial roles in Al Ain qualifying from the group stage.
In a must-win Group D encounter against Uzbekistan's Nasaf, the 'Boss' showed their mettle at home to grind out 2-0 win and book their Round of 16 berth.
En route to the Round 16, the 'Boss' had a shaky start and lost their first two fixtures - home and away - to El Jaish but bounced back to stay undefeated in next four and qualify.
 Meanwhile, the Iranian team - runners-up of the 2010 edition - had breezed their way to the last 16 with 100 per cent win record.
Zob Ahan had thumped Saudi Arabia's Al Nassr 3-0 in their final encounter to stay undefeated in the group stages.
Dalic is hoping that his boys can play with the same intensity they did against Al Wasl in the President's Cup quarter-finals on Thursday.
"Our goal is to play a good game and want our fans to turn up and support. We really need their support. Five days ago, we played a tough game and hopefully my players would have recovered and we will play well," said Dalic.
Wednesday's result is hard to predict but will definitely offer many dramatic moments.
ashwani@khaleejtimes.com