Muscat: Coach Branko Ivankovic believes his Persepolis side can become the first Iranian side to lift the 2017 AFC Champions League trophy if they overcome a four-goal deficit against Al Hilal in the second leg of the semi-final on Tuesday.
Persepolis face an uphill battle after falling to a 4-0 defeat in the first leg in Abu Dhabi, but the Croatian coach is adamant there is still hope for his team.
“We may have lost 4-0 in the first leg, but we are here to win. It is a new day and a new game, so we don’t want to look back,” said Ivankovic, who hopes to draw inspiration from teams that have mounted great comebacks in the past.
“Naturally, this is a difficult situation, but there are many examples of teams that have come from behind."
Ivankovic, who spent a season in Saudi Arabia with Ettifaq, knows Al Hilal well and he is full of respect for his opponents.
“Al Hilal are one of the best teams in Asia, but so are we. We are proud of being in the AFC Champions League semi-final,” he said.
“If we qualify to the final, I am certain we will be Asian champions; a team that can turn around a 0-4 score is champions material.”
Al Hilal conceded five goals in the 2004 AFC Champions League when they lost to Sharjah 5-2 in the group stage, but no team has managed to beat The Saudis 5-0 in AFC competitions.
That doesn’t stop Ivankovic from dreaming of a comeback in Muscat.
“There is a first time for everything,” he added. “We are focused and optimistic about tomorrow’s game.”
Ivankovic ruled out midfielder Farshad Ahmedzadeh who is recovering from an injury.
“He had a surgery a few days ago and will not be available for us, but this will not impact us,” he said.
“We will focus on the available players who will fight to get a result.”
Farshad Ahmedzadeh misses out through injury
One of those players is club captain Jalal Hosseini, who was involved in more aerial duels than any other Persepolis defender this campaign. He echoes his manager’s words.
“We respect Al Hilal, but we are Persepolis. We are a strong team. We lost the first half in Abu Dhabi, but we are prepared for the second half.
Hosseini called on the Iranian community in Muscat to rally behind the team.
“We trained hard and are focused on being at the top of our game to get a result, but we need the support of our fans.”
Photos: Lagardère Sports
Source: the-afc.com