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Al Ain’s Zlatko Dalic denies crunch game is a personal clash with Ahli’s Cosmin Olaroiu

Matt Monaghan

08:23 05/12/2015

Zlatko Dalic has rejected the view Saturday night’s tantalising top-of-the-table clash in the Arabian Gulf League against Al Ahli is a battle of the bosses.

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The Croatian’s holders host red-hot 2015 AFC Champions League finalists at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, who have won a perfect seven out of seven top-flight matches to sit second with two games in hand.

The fixture also pits the current Al Ain boss against an illustrious predecessor in Cosmin Olaroiu, who lifted the 2011-12 and 2012-13 top-flight titles with them before making a tumultuous defection.

“In the match against Al Ahli, we realise that they are a strong rival and we respect them as we respect all our competitors,” said Dalic.

“But they have so far not faced any team as strong as Al Ain in the league and we did not have an opponent of Ahli’s strength.

“I wish to succeed and give happiness to our fans loyal during this confrontation and offer a match worthy of Al Ain’s name. We will not get into a fight and there is no direct competition between me and any coach and my focus is only on setting up the team.”

Dalic and Olaroiu have met each other in nine previous matches in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. They have both claimed three victories each, with the other three ending in stalemates.

The sides last met in May’s ACL round-of-16 double header, a thrilling 3-3 second-leg draw in the Garden City sending Ahli through on away goals. Olaroiu’s charges have rebounded in style from an awful title defence in 2014-15, sitting one point

Their upturn in form also saw them narrowly lose out on Asia’s premier club crown, falling to China’s Guangzhou Evergrande last month.

The Romanian declared his players must treat this match like the continental decider to stand any chance of success. He said: “If we want to improve the team and develop our level as a group we have to deal with every game and take responsibility.

“This is the same level at which we played in the AFC Champions League final. We should do it in front of Al Ain or Sharjah or Dibba Al Fujairah or any other team if we want to get to the summit.”

UAE international Saeed Al Kathiri is expected to retain his place up front for the Boss even if Nigeria striker Emmanuel Emenike is passed fit after a hamstring complaint.

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