(MENAFN- The Peninsula)
Fawad Hussain | The Peninsula
Eyeing a clean sweep of titles this season, in-form Al Sadd will take on arch-rivals Al Rayyan in the semi-final of Qatar Cup at Al Duhail Stadium today.
Al Sadd won the last edition of the Qatar Cup, which is played among the top four sides of a QNB Stars League (QSL) season.
Al Sadd finished third last season behind runners-up Al Rayyan but this year The Wolves are in such awesome form that they can tame any opposition with ease.
The Xavi Hernandez-coached side is the only unbeaten team in this QSL season, leading the points table with 44 points 13 points clear of second-placed Al Duhail. A few more victories will seal a QSL title for Al Sadd, who are looking to start their title-winning spree with the Qatar Cup.
'We want to win all tournaments this season and if we play at the same level as we've done in the league, it'll be difficult to beat Al Sadd in the 2021 Qatar Cup semi-final, a confident Xavi said at a pre-match press conference, yesterday.
The Barcelona legend, however, is aware what Qatar football giants Al Rayyan are capable of despite being far away from their best this season.
'We must show humility because Al Rayyan have developed a lot under coach Laurent Blanc. The match won't be easy and I see it as a final before the actual final, he added.
Al Sadd striker Baghdad Bounedjah - who is enjoying another amazing season scoring 18 goals, said The Lions have always been tough opponents for Al Sadd.
'Al Rayyan are a strong team, but our goal is to win the 2021 Qatar Cup. Al Rayyan team includes high-level players, he said.
'The Qatar Cup matches always have surprises as was evident from our game against Al Arabi in the 2019-20 season Amir Cup final, where many had expected Al Sadd to win by a big margin, but it turned out to be a very difficult match, Bounedjah added.
Al Rayyan coach Laurent Blanc said his team faces a tough task but he has full confidence that his players will do their best to cause an upset.
'Qatar Cup matches are always full of excitement and there's no room for complacency. Either you win and continue the journey, or you lose and exit the competition, said Blanc.
'Al Sadd match is a very big challenge for our team and in Qatar Cup matches, it is not always the best (team) that wins. Qatar Cup matches are associated with surprises. It does not bother us that Al Sadd are the strongest candidates for a win, but we'll work to obtain surprise results, he added.
Al Rayyan player Kom said: 'The match is difficult and decisive, and we've to play it with great strength and focus. We've to fight it with full strength and high spirit and I hope that we'll achieve victory in this match.
The match will kick off at 4:45pm with all COVID-19 safety measures in place.
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