Ivankovic says Persepolis ready for Al Jazira match

TEHRAN, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Persepolis soccer coach Branko Ivankovic feels his side are in a good position for the match against Al Jazira in the AFC Champions League, Tehran Times daily reported on Sunday.

"We can't be arrogant but we can be confident. Al Jazira are a strong team and want to win the first leg but we are well-prepared for the match. We've only missed Jalal Hosseini for this match," Ivankovic said in the pre-match news conference.

"Al Jazira's domestic form has been poor in the recent games but it doesn't mean they are a weak team. I watched their match against Al Wahda and despite suffering a 3-0 defeat they showed a good performance. We expect a difficult match against Al Jazira," the Croat added.

"Persepolis have progressed a lot in the past years and we have to meet the expectations of our fans," Ivankovic was quoted as saying.

The UAE's Al Jazira will host 2017 semi-finalist Persepolis in the first leg of the Round of 16 at Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium on Monday. Enditem