Al Ittihad, without a win in Asia, travel to a Neftchi side leading the Uzbek league
Al Ittihad have one point from two Champions League Elite matches and sit eleventh in the West. Neftchi lead their league by five points but went out of the cup at home on Tuesday.
Al Ittihad's Asian season has not started. One point from two matches, a 1-1 draw at Al Shamal and a 2-1 home defeat by Shabab Al Ahli, leaves them eleventh in the West group of the Champions League Elite before Monday's trip to Fergana.
Al Ittihad hold a slight advantage in an open game of three goals or more, with both sides scoring.
In the league they have found form, with a 4-1 win at Al Ettifaq and a 2-0 win over Al Diriyah since losing 3-2 at Al Hilal on 10 October, and they are fourth. Jens Wissing is without Hassan Kadesh, Roger Fernandes, Hamed Al Ghamdi and Mahamadou Doumbia, and Ahmed Sharahili is a doubt; Steven Bergwijn, ill last week, has travelled.
Neftchi lead the Uzbek Super League by five points and won 3-1 at Pakhtakor on Friday, three days after a 4-2 home defeat by Lokomotiv Tashkent knocked them out of the cup. In Asia they have three points, after a 3-1 defeat at Al Nassr in which Ikromjon Alibaev was sent off.
The clubs have met twice, both in the 2004 group stage, and Al Ittihad won both on their way to the title.
