Al Rayyan will start their 2019 AFC Champions League Group B campaign with a match against Saudi Arabia’s Al Ittihad. The kick-off is at 20:35 in Jeddah on Monday, 4th March.

The UAE’s Al Wahda and Uzbekistan’s Lokomotiv are the other Group B teams.

Al Rayyan qualified for the group stage after beating Iran’s Saipa 3-1 in play-off. on 19th February. It was a last-minute double salvo that helped The Lions come from behind to win the game played on 19th February.

On the other hand, Qatar’s Al Gharafa failed to make the cut after they went down fighting to Iran’s Zobahan, who completed a remarkable comeback to win the play-off 3-2.

Al Rayyan hope to return to Doha with a positive result as they seek to reach the knockout round this time around. It may be recalled that they had failed to progress past the group stage last year.

A victory on Monday will also enable them to put behind the disappointment of the 0-3 defeat they suffered at the hands of Al Shahania in Week 18 of the QNB Stars League.

Al Ittihad are having a lean patch and had dismissed Croatian coach Slaven Bilic recently.

Al Rayyan have the likes of Rodrigo Tabata, Sebastian Soria and Koh Myong-Jin, new recruit Gelmin Rivas from Venezuela, Khalfan Ibrahim, Mohammed Alaaeldin and Brazilian striker Lucca Borges to deliver the goods.