Mancini challenges Al-Ittihad: Victory is our only option for Asian qualification

Italian Roberto Mancini, the coach of Qatari club Al Sadd, raised the banner of challenge before the anticipated and decisive confrontation that will bring his team together with their Saudi counterpart Al Ittihad, on Tuesday evening, at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, as part of the final round of the league stage in the AFC Champions League.

There is no alternative to victory to guarantee qualification

In the pre-Gulf summit press conference, Mancini stressed firmly that his team had no room for error, emphasizing that "victory is the only option" to secure a place in the round of 16 and avoid complicated calculations that could lead to early elimination. The veteran coach explained that the coaching staff had worked tirelessly over the past few days to prepare the players mentally and physically to handle the pressure of this crucial match.

Mancini highlighted a crucial point regarding the opponent's mentality, warning his players against complacency despite Al-Ittihad having already secured qualification with 12 points. He said, "The task won't be easy against a fierce opponent who will be playing for their name and rich history, regardless of their position in the table. Big teams don't take things lightly, and this requires us to be at our peak mentally and technically for the full ninety minutes.".

Great confidence in "Al-Zaeem" and the players' experience

The Italian coach expressed his complete confidence in Al Sadd's ability to overcome this difficult test, citing the team's recent run of positive results, having won their last ten matches across all competitions. He praised the high level of professionalism displayed by Al Sadd's players, which enables them to handle challenging situations and the intense pressure of such major continental fixtures.

Boualem Khoukhi: A confrontation against a triumphant opponent

For his part, Al Sadd star Boualem Khoukhi agreed with his coach about the difficulty of the match, noting that Al Ittihad enters the game with very high morale after their resounding domestic victory and qualification for the continental competition. Khoukhi said, "We are facing a great challenge. The opponent is strong and has just achieved a big win against Al Gharafa, but we are determined to secure the three points to continue our journey in the tournament and deliver the best possible performance worthy of Al Sadd's name.".

Group calculations and the overall context of the tournament

This match is of paramount importance in the race for the final qualifying spots for the Round of 16 in the new edition of the AFC Champions League. Al Sadd enters the match with 8 points, placing them eighth, the last qualifying position, behind Al Duhail on goal difference and ahead of Sharjah of the UAE on goal difference. This precarious situation means any slip-up could be a major gamble that could dash the team's hopes, especially given the close points standings among the competing clubs.

Matches between Qatari and Saudi clubs are always characterized by competitiveness and excitement, and are considered "Gulf derbies" that attract the attention of fans in the region, which adds an extra burden on the players to appear in the best possible way.