Riveiro discloses game plan to help Al Ahly beat Palmeiras in FIFA Club World Cup

Photo Credit - Al Ahly.

Al Ahly manager Jose Riveiro has outlined the game plan he believes could lead his side to victory against Palmeiras in their second Group A fixture of the FIFA Club World Cup at MetLife Stadium on Thursday.

The Egyptian Premier League champions kicked off their campaign in the USA with a 0-0 draw against Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami at the Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday, June 15.

“We need to fight as hard as we can to get a good result against Palmeiras. I think they are one of the best teams in the championship in terms of stability and current form," said Riveiro in a press conference on Wednesday, as quoted by Xinhua.

“I think they have played 300 matches together or even more. It is a team that knows how to respond very well to many situations because they have been playing together for a long time. They can adapt very quickly, we saw that against Porto, a game with a lot of tactical changes.

“Palmeiras have a very aggressive defence that plays with a lot of courage, and an incredible midfield. They are a very high-level opponent,” the head coach added.

On how Al Ahly will deal with teenage winger Estevao, Riveiro explained: “There are players who force you to work one-on-one to avoid situations in which they are running towards goal.

“Maybe a way to deal with them is to sit further back. When you are playing defensively, the idea is to limit the impact of your opponent. That's what we did with [Lionel] Messi against Inter Miami. It's about cutting off their opportunities and not letting them receive passes so that they are starved of opportunities.”

Al Ahly qualified for the FIFA Club World Cup by winning the Egyptian Premier League – for a 45th time – pipping Pyramids to the title by two points.