FC Seoul boss Senol Gunes conceded his side's chances of reaching the knockout stage of the Asian Champions League look slim but vowed to continue fighting over their final two Group F games.
Seoul lie third, three points behind Shandong Luneng and a place in the last 16 going into tomorrow's game with Sriwijaya at Seoul World Cup Stadium.
Three points are expected against the lowly Indonesians but the Koreans still need Shandong, who host Gamba Osaka on Wednesday, to slip up.
And Gunes, who is without striker Jung Jo-gook with a fractured cheekbone, also lamented the fact his side have been far from their best in the continental competition.
"We are hungry to win and keen to show our fans a passionate performance but our situation is not bright. We have to win our last two games against Sriwijaya and then at Gamba Osaka and see what happens," he said.
"With the results we have had, it looks difficult to reach the second round. We haven't played to our best in the AFC Champions League and haven't managed to control games the way we should have.
"Consequently, we haven't been able to get good results. Even so, we want to finish higher than third place."
Sriwijaya, meanwhile, are yet to collect a point and have conceded 17 goals in four games.
Nevertheless, coach Rahmad Darmawan still drew some positives from their miserable campaign.
"We have no chance to reach the second round but playing in Seoul gives us the kind of international experience that is great for our players," he said.
"This will not be an easy game for them. We will show our best form in Seoul and do all we can to make it a difficult match."
Three points are expected against the lowly Indonesians but the Koreans still need Shandong, who host Gamba Osaka on Wednesday, to slip up.
And Gunes, who is without striker Jung Jo-gook with a fractured cheekbone, also lamented the fact his side have been far from their best in the continental competition.
"We are hungry to win and keen to show our fans a passionate performance but our situation is not bright. We have to win our last two games against Sriwijaya and then at Gamba Osaka and see what happens," he said.
"With the results we have had, it looks difficult to reach the second round. We haven't played to our best in the AFC Champions League and haven't managed to control games the way we should have.
"Consequently, we haven't been able to get good results. Even so, we want to finish higher than third place."
Sriwijaya, meanwhile, are yet to collect a point and have conceded 17 goals in four games.
Nevertheless, coach Rahmad Darmawan still drew some positives from their miserable campaign.
"We have no chance to reach the second round but playing in Seoul gives us the kind of international experience that is great for our players," he said.
"This will not be an easy game for them. We will show our best form in Seoul and do all we can to make it a difficult match."
Copyright (c) Press Association
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