DOHA (Qatar): Al Sadd coach Xavi Hernandez said they were ready for Persepolis in Sunday’s crucial encounter last 16 match of AFC Champions league at Education City Stadium.
“We are very excited. We want to win and reach quarterfinals. We will play against the best Iranian team, and it will be a difficult game, like a final, for us,” said Xavi.
“It will be an excellent game and a great opportunity to qualify for the quarter-finals. We respect Persepolis and we will not forget that they knocked us out in the 2018 semifinals.”
Al Sadd lost their final group game to Sepahan but Xavi had wisely opted to give rest to almost all his regular players, which hopefully will prove to be crucial.
“We must play with balance and great passion in order to get the win. We hope to achieve this by giving our best on the pitch. Our priority in the match against Sepahan was to rest some players after qualifying, but for Persepolis, they needed to qualify,” added the Spaniard. (Source: AFC)
