Spearheading Al Ain’s charge will be Soufiane Rahimi, who played a pivotal role in the club’s AFC Champions League™ 2023/24 triumph, with the Moroccan forward being named the MVP and picking up the Top Scorer award.

Since that continental success, Al Ain have undergone a period of change. Head coach Hernan Crespo departed shortly after lifting the Asian crown, with Leonardo Jardim briefly taking the reins before Serbian tactician Vladimir Ivic oversaw the remainder of the 2024/25 season, guiding the club to a fifth-place finish in the UAE Pro League.

For Rahimi, the opportunity to test themselves against one of Europe’s most storied clubs only heightens the motivation within the squad.

“First off, we have great ambitions, like any team that’s taking part in this major tournament. Hopefully, we’ll perform at our best for Al Ain. We have big ambitions, like every team in this major tournament,” said Rahimi.

“We hope to live up to our fans’ expectations, as well as those of every football fan. Nothing is impossible in football. We’ll play with everything we’ve got and we hope to achieve our goal.”

Juventus, meanwhile, are determined to leave their mark. The club are in transition, having undergone multiple coaching changes in recent years with Croatian tactician Igor Tudor – their third manager in two seasons - now in charge.

Tudor, who represented Juventus as a player during the early 2000s, believes his side has what it takes to make a deep run in the competition.

“Juve always has the same ambition: to win. We want to do this with humility,” said the 46-year-old.

“We know that the best teams in the world are here, but we didn’t come here just to participate — that’s clear.”

Venue: Audi Field (Washington D.C.)

Kick-off: Wednesday, 21:00 (UTC-4)