(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Al Ain coach Zoran Mamic said a high-intensity goalless draw against Al Hilal was a "fair" result from the first leg of the 2017 AFC Champions League quarterfinals considering they ended the match with 10 men.
He said Mohanad Salem's sending off changed the dynamics of the game and remained optimistic about a positive result from the final leg in Riyadh.
"The result is OK for both the teams. We were nervous in the first half and didn't play well enough. Al Hilal were better in that half. In the second half we were very good till the red card. It wasn't easy after that. We could have scored twice after that. Al Hilal too had two very good chances but didn't score," he said during the post-match briefing at the Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium on Monday night.
Mamic hoped the local and international matches in next few weeks will see his players in good stead.
"The players will be more prepared for Riyadh leg and Al Ain, hopefully, will qualify for the semifinals."
He praised performance of Brazilians Dyanfres Douglas, who had sad memories of missing penalty in the AFC Champions League final. "Bigger players than him miss a penalty. He has strong character."
Mamic also noted the top performance by Al Hilal goalkeeper Abdullah Al Mayouf, who made couple of crucial saves.
He also took a dig at sideline banters of Al Hilal counterpart Ramon Diaz.
"It is not easy playing against Mr. Diaz as in all the games he puts pressure on referees," he added.
Meanwhile, coach Ramon Diaz said it wasn't best performance by his players and the next 90 minutes in Riyadh will be the real deal.
"It was a tough match played at high rhythm with counter-attacks between both the teams. The winner will be decided after 180 minutes of play," the Argentinian said.
When asked about the lack of intent in last few minutes to push against 10-man Al Ain, the coach said: "We tried to make use of a man advantage. We had two chances in last few minutes but they were not translated into goals. Al Ain players closed all the gaps and were successful with their style."
On the lack of goals despite 15 shots on goal, Diaz said: "This is the beginning of the season and third match for us. This is not the real image of Al Hilal. We will better our performance in next match."
Al Hilal goalkeeper Abdullah Al Mayouf thanked his coach.
"I made use of the massive experience of my coach and did well in the match. I hope to do better in next leg," he added.
The return leg will be played at the King Fahd Stadium in Riyadh on September 11.
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