JOHOR BARU: Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) coach Esteban Solari is bracing for a challenging away fixture against South Korean side Ulsan Hyundai in the Asian Champions League (ACL) on Tuesday.
Solari anticipates that the cold weather at the Munsu Stadium will be a factor in the Group I encounter.
The match is set to take place in chilly conditions, with temperatures expected to hover around 9 degrees Celsius.
JDT will need to quickly adapt to the cold weather to pose a challenge to Ulsan and aim for three crucial points.
The recent Fifa international match window compelled JDT to release several players to the national team, leaving them with little time to regroup upon their return to the squad.
"Preparation-wise, it has been a bit tight after the Malaysia Cup match against Perak on Thursday," said Solari.
Despite these challenges, JDT are determined to put up a strong performance against Ulsan, the reigning Korean League One champions.
"It will be a tough match. We will be playing the Korean League One champions, who will probably be determined to return to winning ways after their ACL defeat to Japan's Kawasaki Frontale in their last match.
"But we have faith in our abilities based on what we achieved in our previous ACL match against Thailand's BG Pathum United.
"Of course, we will be looking to play a high-intensity game."
JDT are currently second in Group I with three points.
They lost their opening ACL match 1-0 to Kawasaki in Iskandar Puteri on Sept 19 but bounced back with a 4-2 victory over Pathum away on Oct 3.
Solari expressed confidence in the players' condition and indicated there should not be any selection issues.
"We will try our best to secure a second win," Solari added.
For the record, JDT won 2-1 and drew 0-0 against Ulsan last season when both matches were played at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium.
On the domestic front, JDT have retained their Super League and FA Cup crowns, and are on course to winning the Malaysia Cup for the second consecutive time.