Xavi’s Al Sadd take on Monterrey with eyes on semi-final clash with Liverpool
Former AFC Champions League winners Al Sadd will be hoping to play to the best of their capacity while maintaining composure under pressure as they face Mexican giants CF Monterrey today for a chance of a dream semi-final against Liverpool at the FIFA Club World Cup.
The match, scheduled to be played at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium by 8:30 pm local time, is expected to provide a real test of strength and skill for the coach Xavi Hernandez’s team, who needed extra-time goals from Abdulkarim Hassan and Pedro Miguel to dispatch tournament minnows and New Caledonian part-timers Hienghene Sport 3-1 on Wednesday.
For all their dominance and possession, Al Sadd, who are appearing at the tournament for the second time after their 2011 debut, found it hard to convert several goal-scoring chances they created against the 2019 OFC Champions League winners and that has to be a worry for Xavi heading into the contest.
“It was a matter of confidence in the first match. We played well against Hienghene, but when it came to scoring goals and in important moments we struggled. I told my players that I trust them a lot and if they play to the best of their capacity then the team will do well,” Xavi said on Thursday.
“Yes, Monterrey are the favorites tomorrow but I trust my players a lot. I’m here to win. I was preparing for this match even before the Hienghene match because I was confident of winning against them. Now I am also preparing for Liverpool match, because I know we can beat Monterrey,” the former Barcelona midfield supremo added.
Hopefully backed by the large and partisan home support, Al Sadd will have to fancy their chances of getting the better of the CONCACAF champions, also known as Rayados, who are making a fourth-time appearance at the tournament and will be looking to go a step further than their third-place finish in 2012 and make it all the way to the final.
Los Rayados sealed their place in Doha with a 2-1 aggregate victory over fellow Mexican side Tigres. Argentine striker Nicolás Sánchez scored both goals for his side, who edged out their rivals in a nervy two-legged encounter to take the continental title for the first time since winning the tournament three times in a row between 2011 and 2013.
Monterrey coach Antonio Mohamed said his team is eyeing nothing short of a final appearance in Qatar. “We want to prove our ability against the best clubs. This is a great opportunity for us. We want to reach the final. Playing against these teams is a challenge but we also want to enjoy the tournament,” the 49-year old Argentinian said.
“We are fully prepared. We have adapted to the weather conditions in Qatar, we have the talent and desire and we dream about reaching the final,” he added.
The CONCACAF champions will once again be relying on the experience of their veteran “rock of defense” Jose Basanta, who has featured for the team in all previous three appearances at the tournament, to curtail the advances and firepower of the home side who they will be facing for the first time.
"I'm happy and very pleased to be able to return to a Club World Cup, a tournament at which the organization is comparable at an international level to a World Cup. I was at Brazil 2014, and everything is very similar,” the 35-year-old Basanta told FIFA.com. “This will be my last Club World Cup, so a great performance here would be a good start to the end of my career. I really hope we can go far, as it could be one of my last games.”
In the other match of the day, Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal, who are making their debut appearance after lifting the AFC Champions League last month, will square up against Esperance Sportive de Tunis earlier in the day at the same venue with the match scheduled for 5 pm local time.
The Tunisian side are back again for a second time in 12 months after retaining the title of Africa’s top side.
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