Fronting the media for the last time before the biggest game of his coaching career and his club's history, Popovic delivered a strong reminder to doubters the Wanderers form slump in the A-League pales in comparison to their rich yet short history.

The Wanderers will enter the first leg of their Asian Champions League final on Saturday night sitting equal bottom of the A-League table after two losses in which seven goals were conceded making their recent form a frequent topic in the pre-match press conference.

Journalists and even Al-Hilal coach Laurentiu Reghecampf mentioned the Wanderers' recent games in a sign their uncharacteristic defensive problems caught the attention of those far beyond Australian football.

Though Popovic hit back at suggestions the club is in a form slump by reminding the public of the greater context of their performances and results.

"You have to remember that we're in the Champions League because of our A-League success and next February we will play in the Champions League again, because of our success in the A-League," he said. "The players are ready for the final and they deserve a lot of credit for being here. They've beaten some real powerhouses of Asia, we have another powerhouse to beat to be the Champions and we're prepared."

In the final training session, the players didn't appear to be in a rut following defeats to Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC. Captain Nikolai Topor-Stanley says the A-League, albeit temporarily, is a distant thought and their focus is firmly on the first leg against Al-Hilal.

"We always live week-to-week, game-to-game, we don't live in the past or the future. We've got the biggest game in our club's history and we're prepared, and we're excited," he said.

There was no hiding the difficult task the Wanderers must overcome. Al-Hilal are not a newly cashed-up club in Asia but one of the continent's most successful teams and one whose achievements Popovic aspires to.

"We have a lot of respect for their club, what they've achieved but we hope in 50 years when we have 50 years of experience, history, that we have as many titles if not more. We understand the quality they have and the experience they have. But we've experienced a lot on this journey and we've always played big teams with big experience and big players. These players have always shone through, they have a lot of belief and most of all a lot of quality."

There was no hiding Al-Hilal's confidence. Their coach had analysed more than 20 Wanderers games. The weight of questioning on the venue, Pirtek Stadium, hinted at their concern. When asked whether the close proximity of the field to the stands and the environment created by the Wanderers fans would be a deterrent, Reghecampf supplied a reality check of his own.

"Have you heard about the fans from Al-Hilal? It's not the same thing,"  he said. "We respect our opponent but you can ask us, we play all the difficult games with 65,000 fans and they make a very nice atmosphere. We see the game, it's a very nice atmosphere too. It's a small stadium, it's close to the field but we know how we have to do in this situation."