Al Ain entertain tricky Al Sharjah

Al Ain - They entertain Al Sharjah at the iconic Hazza bin Zayed Stadium on the morrow and while form suggests a third straight win, considering the firepower and the tight defence that they boast of, it could yet be an awkward one.

 Al Ain have bossed it so far, their Arabian Gulf League title defence well on its way, but Saturday evening, in the Garden City, throws up what might be a tricky fixture. 'The Boss' have done and dusted Al Dhafra 3-1 in the opener and a strong Al Wasl 2-0 at the Zabeel Stadium last week.
They entertain Al Sharjah at the iconic Hazza bin Zayed Stadium on the morrow and while form suggests a third straight win, considering the firepower and the tight defence that they boast of, it could yet be an awkward one.
Al Sharjah, one of the oldest and strongest clubs back in the day, have been left licking their wounds after twin defeats. 'The King' lost their opening League fixture 2-1 to Dubai city rivals Al Shabab before going down by an identical margin to Al Jazira.
And Zlatko Dalic's men could expect a backlash from Paulo Bonamigo's men. Dalic said as much during his pre-match talk.
"Al Sharjah lost their first two games of the League. But we are well aware of the threat that they pose and they have the ability to bounce back from that. We are aware of the risk and we have to be on guard and not let that happen," said Dalic.
"We have a clear strategy when dealing with our opponents and we have to look at it one game at a time," he added.
The Croatian saw positive signs in their previous game against Al Wasl and backed his side to continue in the same way.
"I was very happy with the way we played against Al Wasl. They put in a strong performance and that enabled us to get a well deserved win. And I hope the players continue to show the same level against Al Sharjah," said the 48-year-old.
He was also pleased to have a full squad at his call after a fortnight spent dealing with absences of first team players who were away on international duty.
"Our goal against Al Sharjah is to win three points. It will be a good game as they are at full strength and so are we. We don't have any absences and we are in an ideal situation when it comes to selection," he said.
Dalic also hoped that fans will turn out in big numbers to the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium to witness the game. "I expect a big crowd turnout, especially after the team got six points from the first two rounds of the League. I hope more fans will come and support the team during the League," Dalic said.
james@khaleejtimes.com 

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