Lippi looks for right balance against Al Ittihad
The Guangzhou coach says his team have the ability to claw back the two-goal, first-leg deficit
Trailing by two goals from the first leg in Jeddah, Guangzhou Evergrande coach Marcello Lippi is preaching the importance of balance to his expensively assembled squad ahead of this evening's all-important AFC Champions League second leg clash with Al Ittihad.
The Saudi side scored twice in the last 30 minutes - including one in the final minute - of the first leg two weeks ago to inflict a 4-2 defeat on Lippi's team and place serious doubts on the Chinese Super League side's hopes of reaching the last four of Asia's continental club championship.
No Chinese side have reached the semi-finals of the competition since Shenzhen Jianlibao in 2005 and to do so against a talented side featuring the core of Al Ittihad players who have twice won the competition in the past, Lippi's team will need to pull off a remarkable result.
But the wily Italian World Cup winner, who steered Juventus to the Uefa Champions League crown in 1996, knows from his own experience that the tie is far from over.
"There are matches when you go out and lose 2-0, 3-0 or 4-0 in the away leg but anything can happen at home," said the 64-year-old. "I've had this happen a few times during my career when you go out and can turn it around, so absolutely anything can happen.
"I think we have to score goals but we also have to put all our efforts into not conceding them as well, so we will be attacking and defending as much as we can.