Expo Stars League: Al Arabi Take On Al Gharafa In Strong Week 19 Contest

(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Al Arabi will face Al Gharafa in a strong Week 19 match of the 2023-2024 season Expo Stars League at the Al Thumama Stadium on Saturday.
The clash is expected to be intense and produce a lot of excitement, with both teams gunning for a win to gain the three valuable points.
Al Arabi are currently in fifth place in the standings with 23 points - from five wins and eight draws besides four losses. The team has scored 32 goals and conceded 28 goals so far.
On the other hand, Al Gharafa are occupying the second place with 37 points - from 11 wins, four draws and two losses. So far, they have scored 45 goals and conceded 29 goals.
The result of the first leg match between these two teams had ended with Al Gharafa beating Al Arabi 5-4.
The match represents a big chance for both teams, with Al Gharafa looking to continue their good run to remain in contention for the title and Al Arabi aiming to provide their best against the currently-motivated Cheetahs to gain the much-needed match points and to get into the top four.
The matches between Al Gharafa and Al Arabi have always witnessed strong competition and excitement. Given their excellence in all departments of the game and the great desire of both sides to push for a win, picking a winner is difficult.
Al Arabi rely on a number of distinguished stars led by Syrian striker Omar Al Somah, Tunisian playmaker Yousef Msakni, goalkeeper Jassim Al Hail, Helal Mohammed, Brazilian Rafinha, Italian star Marco Verratti and other players.
On the other hand, Al Gharafa also rely on a number of their stars, most notably Yacine Brahimi, Ferjani Sassi, Ahmed Alaaeldin, Farid Boulaya, Homam Al Ameen, goalkeeper Khalifa Abubakr and others.
Moreover, Al Rayyan will take on Al Duhail in Week 19 of the 2023-2024 season Expo Stars League at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium on Sunday.
Each team is looking forward to achieving the three points in this match, which is expected to be very strong and exciting, given the quality of players in each team in all positions, as well as the desire for both teams to obtain the maximum points at this crucial stage of the league.
Al Duhail had achieved victory in the last round by defeating Al Shamal 3-1 after a series of point losses in the previous rounds, which led to a recent state of loss of confidence for some players.
On the other hand, Al Rayyan did not achieve victory in their last two matches as they drew 2-2 with Umm Salal. They also suffered a 0-3 loss to Al-Gharafa in Week 18 after having achieved some positive results.
Al Rayyan occupy fourth place in the standings with 32 points from 10 wins, five losses, and two draws, scoring 36 goals and conceding 25 times. They will strive to work hard to restore the winning momentum in this round.
On the other hand, Al Duhail are in sixth place with 22 points from six wins, seven losses and four draws. They scored 32 goals and conceded 34 times.
The team will seek to strengthen their position with the recent victory against Al Shamal by working to continue the journey and regain full confidence.
Al Duhail defeated Al Rayyan 3-2 in the match between the two teams in the first leg, which was held in Week 8 at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium of Al Duhail club.
Al Markhiya will face Al Sadd in Week 19 of the 2023-2024 season Expo Stars League at the Al Arabi club's Grand Hamad Stadium on Sunday.
Despite the contrast of their placings in the standings Al Sadd being the leaders and Al Markhiya at the bottom the contest is expected to be intense given the desire of both teams to score a win.
Al Sadd are seeking to continue their victories in order to compete strongly for the championship, while Al Markhiya are looking to make their presence felt and improve their position in rankings.
Al Markhiya are 12th and in last place with eight points after suffering 13 losses and achieving two victories and as many draws, while Al Sadd are in the top spot in the standings with 40 points, three points ahead of Al Gharafa. So far, Al Sadd have achieved 12 victories in addition to four draws and suffered only one reversal.
On the sidelines, the confrontation will be special between the coaches Wesam Rizik of Al Sadd, who seeks to confirm the teams superiority and increase their lead to ensure winning the league championship title, and Algerian Madjid Bougherra of Al Markhiya, who hopes to change the teams situation, especially since in the upcoming matches they cannot afford to lose any point given their situation.
Both sides have attacking players in their ranks capable of presenting a competitive and enjoyable match for the fans. Al Markhiya would be mainly counting on their Moroccan player Driss Fettouhi, top scorer Yusupha Nije and others.
On the other hand, Al Sadd have many stars led by Akram Afif, Baghdad Bounedjah, Guillerme Torres, Boualem Khoukhi and others. Al Sadd may, however, miss their goalkeeper Saad Al Dossari who suffered a muscle injury.
Al Sadd had beaten Al Markhiya 5-0 in the first leg.
Furthermore, Qatar SC and Al Wakrah will face off in Week 19 of the 2023-2024 season Expo Stars League at the Suhaim Bin Hamad Stadium of Qatar Sports Club on Saturday.
The match is expected to be strong and difficult and each team will look to continue the journey after winning the last round, as Al Wakrah achieved a 2-0 victory over Umm Salal and Qatar SC won 2-1 against Al Markhiya.
The two teams enter the match with a common desire to obtain the three points in order to improve their standings, especially for Qatar SC, who are in 10th place with 16 points and coming from a victory over Al Markhiya, a victory that brought the team back to winning ways after stumbling in a number of previous rounds.
As for Al Wakrah, they are in third place with 34 points and they would want to advance further in the ranking table as they continue their chase for the top spot.
Both teams rely on a number of distinguished players in all positions, such as Sebastian Soria, Javi Martinez, Ben Malango, Yohan Boli, Abdullah Al Ahraq, Ibrahim Majed, Khaled Al Mahmoudi and others in the ranks of Qatar SC.
Al Wakrah rely mainly on Lucas Mendes, Rabah Yahya, Ayoub Assal, Jacinto Dala, Mohamed Benyettou, Omar Salah, Mahdi Ali and Hamdi Fathi.
Meanwhile, Al Shamal will face Al Ahli in Week 19 of the 2023-2024 season Expo Stars League at the Al Bayt Stadium on Friday.
Both teams are seeking to achieve victory and obtain the three valuable points. Al Ahli are currently in seventh place in the standings with 20 points, gained from six wins, two draws and nine losses, while Al Shamal are two places behind in the ninth place with 18 points with four wins, six draws and seven defeats.
The match is of great importance in view of the rankings of the two teams, as Al Shamal aim to steer clear of the danger zone and to advance in the rankings table, as only three points separate them from the fifth-placed Al Arabi.
At Thani Bin Jassim Stadium of Al Gharafa club, Umm Salal will play with Muaither in Week 19 of the 2023-2024 season Expo Stars League on Friday.
Each team will look to compensate for the losses they both suffered in the previous rounds and hope to return to winning ways.
Umm Salal occupy the eighth place with 20 points, while Muaither are 11th with 11 points. (QNA)

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