Al Rayyan coach Diego Aguirre spoke to the media ahead of their 2019-20 QNB Stars League Week 12 match against Umm Salal.

“We hope to be ready to bring out our best in the second leg of the tournament. Al Rayyan always play to win, so it is important that the team starts the second leg with a victory.

“I know that Al Duhail have recruited Croatian Mario Mandzukic. I was surprised. It is a great deal for Al Duhail because he is a player with huge capabilities and will be useful to the team.

“As far as we are concerned in Al Rayyan, we have sought a new professional player. We are still working on this and we expect him to be a value addition to the team. Every coach hopes that all his players are good.

“I still remember the difficult game we played with Umm Salal in the first leg, which ended in a 2-2 draw. So, I think this match will also be difficult.

“It is wrong to think that teams at the bottom of the table will throw away points. They will fight for positive results to improve their position, so I warn the players not to be complacent.

“We, in Al Rayyan, respect all opponents. We know that many difficult matches await us in the second leg and we have to be at the top of our readiness,” said Aguirre.