(MENAFN- The Peninsula)
Fawad Hussain
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The Peninsula
Doha: Al Duhail coach Christophe Galtier expressed his delight as the Red Knights got off to a blazing start in the Ooredoo Stars League (OSL) claiming three straight victories in the start of the season.
With the top flight taking international break for almost three weeks, Galtier's men sit two points clear of Al Ahli on top with a perfect record. They defeated Umm Salal 1-0 in their third match on Thursday, thanks to an own goal by Victor Lekhal.
Although Al Duhail were not as convincing against the Orange Fortress as they were in 6-1 and 4-0 wins over Qatar SC and Al Rayyan respectively, Galtier was satisfied with his players.
“We stopped all Umm Salal attacks. We pressed with high intensity and I am happy with the team's overall performance,” said Al Duhail coach.“The most important point is that we achieved the third consecutive victory and collected three points, and this is an ideal start for us, the players, and everyone,” he commented.
As the defending champions, Al Duhail finished in dismal sixth position in the last season that kept them out of the Asian Champions League events.
Meanwhile, Al Ahli maintained their impressive start on Friday as they edged Al Khor 2-1 to take second spot with seven points.
But with defending champions Al Sadd returning to their brilliance after their shock opening loss to Al Shamal, none of their rivals could feel comfortable.
Spurred with a hat-trick from Spaniard Rafa Mujica, the Wolves thrashed Al Arabi 5-0 for their second win on Thursday, having trounced Qatar SC 6-1 in their second match.
“Al Arabi is a great team but we were the better team. Certainly, the victory gives us a morale boost to do better in the future, continue on the same path, and achieve more victories,” said Al Sadd's Mohammed Waad.
Al Wakrah grabbed fourth position behind Al Sadd in the standings after they registered their first victory of the season, beating Al Shahania 1-0 with a 74th-minute header from Ricardo Gomes.
After being pushed to the bottom, Al Gharafa also made amends beating Al Rayyan 2-1 in Friday's crucial clash. The Pedro Martins' side secured fifth place before heading to the break with Al Rayyan slipping to eighth place behind Al Shamal (sixth) and Umm Salal (seventh).
The huge defeat to Al Sadd sent Younes Ali's Al Arabi on the bottom behind Qatar SC (ninth), Al Khor (10th) and Al Shahania (11th).
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