Muscat: Al Rayyan boss said his side is fully prepared for their upcoming Gulf Champions League group stage encounter against Oman's Al Nahda, scheduled for Wednesday in Muscat. Speaking at a pre-match presser on Tuesday, Artur Jorge stressed the importance of maintaining momentum after a dominant opening win, as the Qatari side look to retain top spot in Group B and move closer to their ultimate goal of challenging for the title.
According to Qatar News Agency, "The task won't be easy," warned the Portuguese. "We need to be at our technical and mental best to secure the result we want. Al Nahda is a strong side. We've studied their match against Saudi Arabia's Al Shabab and observed their international players during the Asian World Cup qualifiers in Doha." Jorge emphasized that Al Rayyan will stick to their philosophy and playing style, aiming to impose their game and secure all three points.
Spanish forward Rodrigo Moreno echoed his coach's sentiments, stating that the team is fully focused on claiming another win to consolidate their group lead. "We're going into the match with one goal - to win," Moreno said. "We're well prepared in all aspects and want to deliver another strong performance. Our ambition goes beyond just getting through the group stage - we're here to fight for the title."
Al Rayyan began their campaign in emphatic fashion, thrashing Yemen's Tadamun Hadhramout 5-0 in Doha. The result placed them atop Group B. Meanwhile, Al Nahda and Al Shabab shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw in their opening match, leaving both sides joint second with one point. Tadamun Hadhramout sit at the bottom of the group without any points ahead of their upcoming match against Al Shabab.