(MENAFN- The Peninsula) chinthana wasala |
The Peninsula
Doha: Reigning champions Al Sadd will look for crucial points as they continue their title-chase while Al Duhail will look to maintain their 10-match unbeaten run in Week 13 of the QNB Stars League (QSL) which kicks off today.
The rejuvenated Al Sadd - boosted by the return of their key players - have entered the winning path following a disappointing start to the season.
Coach Juan Manuel Lillo and the Wolves, currently placed sixth in the QSL standings, will be looking for nothing less than full points when they take on Umm Salal who have fallen to the 11th and penultimate place in the table.
Al Sadd, who missed many of their Qatar internationals as they were away training for the World Cup, have shown their quality with a full-strength squad.
They defeated Al Rayyan 2-1, Al Arabi 2-0 and Al Markhiya 1-0 in their last three fixtures.
Their opponents today, Umm Salal have only won one match out of 10, and will be managed by their new coach Talal El Karkouri after the Moroccan replaced Wesam Rizik.
Coach Lillo said his team will have to be wary of Umm Salal due to managerial bounce.
“The match will be a bit special because of the presence of a new coach for Umm Salal, who arrived a few days ago, and this will give the clash a completely different character. We know the difficulty of every match we play. I hope we will be better than our last match against Al Markhiya. We will aim not to miss opportunities and to be stronger and more focused in front of the opponents' goal,” Lillo said on the eve of the match which will be played at the home of the Wolves, Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium.
Meanwhile, leaders Al Duhail face top-four chasing Al Ahli at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium in today's second late match. Al Duhail are four points ahead of Al Arabi, who have lost two successive matches to drop down to second.
Al Duhail have shown splendid form since the League returned to action following the World Cup break, winning all four of their matches in dominant manner.
On the other hand, Al Ahli, who are fifth with 17 points, registered a 3-1 win over Umm Salal for their fourth victory of the season, and are among top contenders for a top four finish season.
Al Duhail's Argentinian coach Hernan Crespo said his team will face one of the in-form teams of the league.
“An important match for us against a big team that plays well in every match, but it is up to us to present a good match and come up with the result we want,” Crespo said yesterday.
Al Ahli coach Nebojsa Jovovic accepted the fact that facing Al duhail will not be an easy task, with Duhail's forwards Michael Olunga and Almoez Ali posing a huge threat.
“The match will not be easy as Duhail are top of the standings,” Jovovic said.
“But Ahli has the quality to face Duhail in the best way and compete for points. As a coach, I work to develop performance and address the negatives that appear to me in order to reach the best level. I have full respect for Al Duhail team and they are the strongest team in the league at the moment. Facing them requires a lot of focus and the team will be ready for the match,” he added.
Elsewhere, Al Arabi take on Al Rayyan in another Round 13 fixture in Al Sadd, Al Arabi enter the match with 22 points from seven wins, one draw and three losses while Al Rayyan, who advanced to the 10th place with eight points having achieved their second victory this season overcoming Al Shamal 2-1 in the last round, will look to revive their position in the standings table.
Al Wakrah face Al Gharafa in the day's fourth encounter.