NEW JERSEY, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Al Ahly manager Jose Riveiro has described Palmeiras as one of the strongest sides at the FIFA Club World Cup and revealed plans to man-mark teenage winger Estevao ahead of the teams' Group A clash on Thursday.

Al Ahly opened its campaign with a goalless draw against Inter Miami while Palmeiras also had to settle for a 0-0 result in its first match against Porto.

Both teams will need to win at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey to maintain hopes of progressing to the tournament's knockout stage.

"We need to fight as hard as we can to get a good result against Palmeiras. I think they are one of the best teams in the championship in terms of stability and current form," Riveiro told a news conference on Wednesday.

The Spaniard said he was still getting to know his squad, having taken charge of the Egyptian outfit late last month following the departure of Marcel Koller.

In contrast, Portuguese coach Abel Ferreira is in his fifth year at Palmeiras, having led the Sao Paulo club to two Brazilian top-flight titles and two Copa Libertadores crowns.

"I think they have played 300 matches together or even more," Riveiro said. "It is a team that knows how to respond very well to many situations because they have been playing together for a long time. They can adapt very quickly, we saw that against Porto, a game with a lot of tactical changes.

"Palmeiras have a very aggressive defense that plays with a lot of courage, and an incredible midfield. They are a very high-level opponent."

Riveiro said his team would pay particular attention to 17-year-old Estevao, who will join Chelsea in July.

"There are players who force you to work one-on-one to avoid situations in which they are running towards goal," he said.

"Maybe a way to deal with them is to sit further back. When you are playing defensively, the idea is to limit the impact of your opponent. That's what we did with [Lionel] Messi against Inter Miami. It's about cutting off their opportunities and not letting them receive passes so that they are starved of opportunities." ■