Group H Kick-off: 19:45 (BST)
AZ Alkmaar coach Ronald Koeman said his side “are longing for a victory” as the Dutch champions host Standard Liege.
AZ have endured a dismal start to the season and are eight points off the lead in the Eredivisie and lost their Group H opener at Olympiakos.
Their Belgian rivals, meanwhile, have won just four of their nine matches in defence of their title, and after throwing away a 2-0 lead in defeat against Arsenal on Matchday 1, coach Laszlo Boloni is looking for an immediate response from his players.
“It is important we do not stand still for too long after a setback,” he said.
Koeman, though, remains confident that his team can recapture the form that carried them to an unexpected title triumph last season.
“Standard are a bit like AZ,” he said. “They have had a difficult start to the season after becoming champions last term. But they are a real team, compact and good fast players up front. It will be tough, they showed that already against Arsenal, but it is not an impossible mission.
“We are still calm, which is also a characteristic of the club. Obviously the atmosphere is different, as good atmosphere often goes together with good results. We are longing for a victory, and that has to be the goal for the game.
Meanwhile, Boloni, who will be without Steven Defour, Victor Ramos and Cedric Collet through injury, said his team needed to start picking up some points.
“We will do our best to get better results,” he said. “The team are starting to learn and are getting more courage. We need some good results now. We started well against Arsenal, but now we have to collect some points.
“I expect my players to be enthusiastic and to be up for it so our engine will run smoothly. It is important we do not stand still for too long after a setback.
“Obviously the Champions League is on a different level to our usual competition, so we need that perseverance. I do not believe the loser of this match will already be knocked out of the competition.”
For more fascinating features, subscribe and save 30% and use the below link?
