Al-Ahli of Saudi Arabia are gearing up for a stern test against South Africa's Sundowns in the Intercontinental Cup, a clash where the Saudi side want to keep their continental run alive and grab a result to build fresh momentum in the tournament.
Marino Pusic is likely to lean on his most prominent players while ringing a few changes that could hand the side a different look against Sundowns. Striking the right balance between defence and attack matters more than ever.
Bahoya and Diaby start
New arrival Saeed Bahoya features at right-back in the expected line-up, making his first start in a demanding tie against Sundowns, with Ibrahim Diaby operating in midfield alongside Valentine Atangana.
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Pusic is banking on the pair to give Al-Ahli more balance. The game could demand plenty of graft in dealing with Sundowns' transitions and the pace of their players, all while keeping the Saudi side capable of building attacks.
Al-Ahli's expected line-up
Goalkeeper: Edouard Mendy.
Defence: Zakaria Hawsawi, Roger Ibanez, Merih Demiral, Saeed Bahoya.
Midfield: Valentine Atangana, Ibrahim Diaby.
Attack: Francisco Trincao, Galeno, Eduard Spertsyan.
Centre-forward: Ivan Toney.
That set-up lines Al-Ahli up in a 4-2-3-1, a midfield duo sitting ahead of the back line while Trincao, Galeno and Spertsyan roam behind Ivan Toney, hunting the spaces to reach the Sundowns goal.
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Balance is the key to this expected line-up. Sundowns carry the pace and the knack for exploiting gaps, which makes the movement of the midfielders and full-backs absolutely crucial throughout the match.