Al Ahli are prepared to battle for the win against Nasaf that will give them a fighting chance of making the AFC Champions League round of 16, according to coach Cosmin Olaroiu.

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The Red Knights sit bottom of Group D after taking a point from their rollercoaster opening clash against Al Ahli Jeddah and losing 1-0 at Iran’s Tractor Sazi.

They welcome their Uzbekist-ani opponents to Rashid Stadium tonight for a game in which they must snap a five-match winless streak in the competition to stand any chance of progression.

“It is a difficult game against a team who are strong, organised and aggressive,” Olaroiu said.

“They have a very high quality of spirit, with a few players of high quality. Unfortunately, when we face these teams from Iran, Korea and Uzbekistan the problem we have is this power and aggressiveness. It is the same for most teams in the Gulf.

“If you lose, it’s difficult. If you draw, it can be a chance but you have to win all the games after.”

Treble holders Ahli have continued their faltering Arabian Gulf League form, sitting seventh in the table following Thursday’s 2-0 loss at second-placed Al Jazira.

The ACL offers a shot at redemption, though results must improve swiftly.

Skipper Luis Jimenez – who returns from suspension after his dismissal in the opener – urged his team-mates to step things up.

He said: “It’s not enough what we’re giving, we have to give something else. I’m very confident in our team and for sure tomorrow we start to change our season.”

Nasaf finished third in the Uzbekistan Professional Football League last term, following this up with a winning start against Andijan when the 2015 edition kicked off on Thursday.

Ruziqul Berdiev’s side are second in their ACL pool on three points, winning the opener against Tractor then losing 2-1 at Ahli Jeddah a fortnight ago. They have never won an away game in Asia’s premier club tournament, tasting defeat on their only previous visit to the UAE when they played Jazira in 2012.

“We came here for a victory and we’ll try to do our best,” Berdiev said. “In the last match, we lost our concentration and that’s why we conceded a goal.”