The Red Devils will host UAE side Al-Ain in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup at Cairo Stadium, with the winner advancing to face the winner of the game between CF Pachuca and the South American champions.

During the past seven games across all competitions, the UAE side conceded 16 goals but scored 22 in the same number of games.

“We know that the UAE side has conceded a lot of goals during previous games, but they have also scored a significant number of goals,” Marcel Koller told the pre-match news conference on Monday.

 “They are a very good team, so we have to play a balanced game against them. They have a very good attack with players like Sofiane Rahimi. We have to defend well against them to win the game.”

The Swiss coach admitted that his side is not fully fit physically, stressing that the team’s fans should be patient and not make early judgments, especially since the season is still in its early stages.

Since the season began, Ahly has played five games: two against Gor Mahia in the Champions League preliminary round, two against Zamalek in the CAF and Egyptian Super Cups, and one against Ceramica Cleopatra in the Egyptian Super Cup.

Team fans are not convinced about the team’s performance during the last three games, despite winning the Egyptian Super Cup at the expense of Zamalek.

“The international players on my team played more than 70 matches last season, and I needed around eight weeks to prepare them well before the start of the season.

“But I haven’t had this time, and it is normal for players to appear not fully fit. Team fans should learn to be patient, especially since I do not have a magic wand. We are still at the start of the season, and the players will improve with time.”

The former Austria manager believes that his side’s win in the Egyptian Super Cup will give his players a boost of confidence and help them claim victory against Al-Ain.

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