Xavi: We are confident and fully prepared for this game

Al-Sadd head coach Xavi Hernandez expressed his confidence in his players, ahead of their AFC Champions League Round of 16 second leg clash with Al-Duhail.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Xavi said: “We have the same feeling that we had before the first leg. We are really motivated and I’m very happy with the players. I have a lot of confidence in them. Anything can happen in football but we are optimistic and fully prepared for this game.”

“There are a number of things that we need to look into, such as defensive errors, and we need to press well during the match. We played a good game in the first leg and I am happy with the performance but there is still a lot to improve on, especially as the team is playing with a new philosophy.

He added: “Tomorrow’s game will be tough. Everyone knows that Al-Duhail are a strong side with an excellent coach. We have always struggled against them but we are confident of achieving a positive result.”

“We don’t have any injuries. The whole team is ready and everything is fine.”

As for the participation of Khoukhi, the coach said: “Khoukhi is one of the best players; as you know, he arrived late at the camp. I will decide on his participation on matchday. He is an important player, not just for this game but for the upcoming games as well.”

Asked if he would play a defensive game, Xavi replied: “Our goal is to focus on all the departments and not just defence. We will play to create chances and score goals. Al-Duhail are one of the best teams in the Middle East and so, this game will be tough.”

As for Hamed Ismail not playing in the first leg, Xavi said: “Hamed is important for the team. He did not play in the first leg because we changed a few things in defence and the playing style. I like Hamed and he knows my opinion of him. He is a professional player; we know his abilities and his level has improved greatly.”