Al-Wasl aims to repeat its victory over Bahraini Al-Muharraq when they meet at Zabeel Stadium today at 17:45 in the fourth round of Group A matches in the AFC Champions League 2. The "Emperor" seeks to secure its early qualification to the next round before facing Esteghlal and Al-Wehdat in the fifth and sixth group-stage matches. Al-Wasl hopes to achieve a perfect record by reaching 12 points to strengthen its position at the top of the group. It currently has nine points after defeating Esteghlal 7-1 at home, overcoming Al-Wehdat 2-1 away, and winning against Al-Muharraq 1-0 in Manama. "The Yellow" hopes to regain its stability after a domestic winning streak was broken. The team suffered a surprising defeat to Dibba Al-Fujairah in the President's Cup Round of 16 before drawing with Khorfakkan 1-1 in the seventh round of the ADNOC Pro League. This prompted the coaching staff, led by Portuguese manager Luis Castro, to focus on correcting errors and ensuring the team is ready for the match against Al-Muharraq. The team relies on experienced players and renewed attacking readiness. Recent substitutions have given substitutes the opportunity to showcase their abilities, as seen in the previous match against Al-Muharraq, where Adama Diallo scored the decisive winning goal, leading the team to victory at Ali bin Mohammed Khalifa Stadium in Manama. This confirmed Castro's ability to handle crucial moments. The coaching staff hopes this fighting spirit will repeat in the upcoming match, relying on varied attacking solutions and exploiting early chances to ensure control from the start. Tactically, Al-Wasl aims to translate its excellent collective performance from previous rounds into tangible results, focusing on enhancing defensive discipline and addressing missed easy chances, especially after an inconsistent performance in the last two matches. The team aspires to put on a strong display for its fans at Zabeel and regain their confidence. Meanwhile, Bahraini Al-Muharraq enters the match aiming to avenge its home defeat to Al-Wasl before losing to Al-Wehdat 1-2. The Bahraini team wants to avoid getting entangled in complex qualification scenarios for the Round of 16, especially as it has six points, three more than both Al-Wehdat and Esteghlal.
