Vissel Kobe’s coach, Michael Skibbe, is eagerly anticipating the chance to evaluate his squad against a more formidable opponent as the J-League club prepares to take on Roberto Mancini’s Al-Sadd in the quarter-finals of the Asian Champions League Elite this Thursday.
Kobe, who secured the Japanese title in both 2023 and 2024, are yet to claim the prestigious Asian title and will face the Qatari team that outperformed four-time champions Al Hilal from Saudi Arabia in a tense penalty shootout earlier this week.
“Al Sadd will be a very challenging opponent, as we’ve witnessed just two days ago,” expressed Skibbe, who is in his inaugural season with Kobe after four years at Sanfrecce Hiroshima.
“This is going to be an incredibly intriguing match for us.
“It’s quite challenging to encounter highly competitive teams from Eastern Asia, given that our surroundings consist mainly of the Japanese league, the Korean league, and occasionally teams from China.
“However, there’s quite a distance to the western part of Asia, so we are truly delighted, after a long journey, to be here to demonstrate what an exciting match we can produce tomorrow.”
Both Kobe and Al-Sadd are among the last eight teams remaining in Jeddah during the centralised finals series of the competition, where the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final will all unfold in this port city on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast.
Emphasising Recovery
Skibbe hopes to present his strongest lineup, which could see the return of former Japan international forwards Yuya Osako and Yoshinori Muto, while Mancini is concentrating on helping his players bounce back from their exhausting victory over Al Hilal.
Al-Sadd made a remarkable comeback, equalising three times during regular time in their last-16 clash on Monday before claiming victory 4-2 on penalties, eliminating the team coached by Simone Inzaghi.
“We aim to recover well after the previous match,” noted Mancini. “It was exceptionally tough. We played 120 minutes. It’s not straightforward, but we hope to recuperate effectively. I believe it will be a fantastic game, as we’re up against a strong team filled with good players.”
Saudi Arabian clubs were anticipated to dominate the tournament following the recent surge of high-profile foreign talent from Europe’s top leagues, but Al-Sadd managed to overcome an Al Hilal side boasting stars like Karim Benzema and Ruben Neves.
The defending champions, Al Ahli, represent one of two Saudi clubs still in the competition, set to face Malaysia’s Johor Darul Ta’zim on Friday, while fellow Jeddah side Al Ittihad will go head-to-head with Machida Zelvia, the second remaining Japanese club.
Shabab Al-Ahli from the UAE will compete against Thailand’s Buriram United in the fourth and final quarter-final showdown on Saturday, with the semi-finals slated for Monday and Tuesday. The final is scheduled for April 25th.
Compiled by SportArena.au
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