Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — Al Hilal’s Portuguese head coach Jorge Jesus affirmed that his team will approach their AFC Champions League elite clash against Iran’s Esteghlal on Monday with a singular focus on winning.

In the pre-match press conference, Jesus said, “We will enter this match with the intent to win. Esteghlal is a very strong team aiming to qualify, and we know their coach, who previously worked in Saudi Arabia.”

“We are in our third day of recovery after the Al Nassr game, and each match has its own circumstances. The game against Al Ain was different because they have a dangerous player like Soufiane Rahimi, and Esteghlal presents a unique challenge. At times, we struggle with high pressing, as we saw in the first 30 minutes against Al Nassr, but we have a solid group of players who link midfield and attack well. Overall, we rely on a team-oriented approach.”

Asked about the potential involvement of Brazilian star Neymar, Jesus responded, “If everything goes as planned, Neymar will be in the squad for the match. We will make some lineup adjustments for the Esteghlal game, finalizing decisions after the last training session.”

Senegalese defender Kalidou Koulibaly echoed the team’s commitment to winning, stating, “We know every opponent wants to beat us, especially on our home turf. It will be a competitive match, and we’ll play in our usual style. We promise our fans we’ll continue to push forward, giving everything we have. There are many chapters still to be written with Al Hilal, and the AFC Championship is among our goals.”

Addressing his partnership with Hassan Tambakti, who will replace the suspended Ali Al-Bulaihi, Koulibaly said, “Hassan and I may not have played much together, but he’s a calm and confident player. We’ll support each other on the pitch. I enjoy playing alongside him, as well as with Ali Al-Bulaihi.”