Vissel Kobe’s coach Michael Skibbe is eagerly anticipating the chance to challenge his team against stronger competition as the J-League side prepares to face Roberto Mancini’s Al-Sadd in the quarter-finals of the Asian Champions League Elite this Thursday.
Kobe, champions of the Japanese league in both 2023 and 2024, have yet to clinch the Asian title and will take on the Qatari side that triumphed over four-time champions Al Hilal from Saudi Arabia in a dramatic penalty shootout on Monday.
“Al-Sadd will be a formidable opponent, as we’ve seen just two days ago,” remarked Skibbe, who is in his first season at the helm of Kobe after a four-year stint with Sanfrecce Hiroshima.
“I believe this match will be quite intriguing for us.
“It can be quite challenging to find highly competitive teams from Eastern Asia, given the proximity of the Japanese league, the Korean league, and occasionally teams from China.
“However, there’s a considerable distance to the western part of Asia, so we are delighted to have made this long journey to showcase what an excellent match we can have tomorrow.”
Kobe and Al-Sadd are among the eight teams left competing in Jeddah, where the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finals of the tournament will be held in the coastal city along Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea.
Emphasising Recovery
Skibbe is optimistic about fielding his best lineup, which would feature former Japan internationals Yuya Osako and Yoshinori Muto, while Mancini is concentrating on ensuring his players recover from the intensity of their previous match against Al Hilal.
Al-Sadd staged a remarkable comeback, equalising three times during regulation time in the round of 16 before winning 4-2 on penalties, eliminating the team managed by Simone Inzaghi.
“We aim to recover effectively from the last game,” stated Mancini. “It was extremely challenging. We played for 120 minutes, and that’s no easy task, but we’re hopeful for a good recovery. I think it will be a fantastic game; we’re up against a skilled team with talented players.”
Saudi clubs were anticipated to dominate the competition following a surge of high-profile foreign signings from Europe’s top leagues, yet Al-Sadd eliminated an Al Hilal side boasting stars such as Karim Benzema and Ruben Neves.
The defending champions Al Ahli are one of two Saudi clubs still in contention, and they will face Malaysia’s Johor Darul Ta’zim on Friday, while fellow Jeddah-based team Al Ittihad is set to take on Machida Zelvia, the second remaining Japanese club.
Shabab Al-Ahli from the United Arab Emirates will clash with Thailand’s Buriram United in the final quarter-final on Saturday, with the semi-finals scheduled for Monday and Tuesday. The final will take place on April 25th.
Compiled by SportArena.au
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