Al Nassr Face Al Taawoun in AFC Champions League Round of 16

Doha, September 27 (QNA) - KSA's Al Nassr will face compatriot Al Taawoun in an all-Saudi clash in the fourth 2020 AFC Champions League Round of 16 match in Education City Stadium on Sunday. Al Nassr reached the Round of 16 after topping Group D with 11 points. Moroccan striker Abderazzak Hamdallah contributed five goals to their campaign progress, scoring in each of their first four games before being rested with qualification all but secured, the AFC website reported. The Riyadh based side have reached the knockout stage three times, this being the second time in a row. The first time they reached the knockout stage was in 2011, when they lost 4-1 on aggregate to Islamic Republic of Iran's Zobahan in the Round of 16, while in 2019 they went on to reach the quarter-finals before exiting at the hands of Al Sadd. "We know Al Taawoun very well and they know us too, the winners will be the team that show more intelligence on the pitch, because small decisions can make the difference," said Al Nassr head coach Rui Vitoria. "In a one-legged knockout game, you cannot attack all the time or defend all the time. Both teams will have a chance and will want to take their chances to progress to the next round. I don't think there will be more pressure on us. We just need to stay focused on winning the match." On the other hand, Al Taawoun needed a dramatic late goal from Australian striker Mitchell Duke against Al Duhail on Matchday Six to secure qualification from Group C as the second placed side behind Persepolis FC, having had their chances significantly dented in the preceding match when they got beaten 6-0 by Sharjah. This will be the Buraidah based side's first ever knockout stage appearance in the AFC Champions League, in what is only their second participation in the competition after a group stage exit in the 2017 edition. "We have to be ready for all possibilities; We will prepare the players physically to play 120 minutes and we will also practice penalties," said Al Taawoun head coach Patrice Carteron, who faces the team he coached for a brief spell in 2017. "I cannot say I know a lot about Al Nassr, plenty of things have changed since I coached them. But we know they are a huge team and in my opinion they are favourites for the title after Al Hilal's exit." The two sides have never met in continental competition before, but the past 10 domestic matches heavily favour Al Nassr who have won seven; including a 4-1 win just over a month ago in the Saudi Pro League which saw Hamdallah bag a hat-trick, while Al Taawoun have won the other three matches, the most recent of which was in February 2019. (QNA)