Al Sadd Wary Of Al Shahania Threat Al Rayyan Eye Strong Comeback

(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Fawad Hussain | The Peninsula

Doha: Al Sadd will approach their match against Al Shahania with caution as they look to secure points in the Ooredoo Stars League (OSL) at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium today.

The defending champions are resuming their title defence after a 4-2 victory over Al Gharafa before the league paused for nearly three weeks due to the international break.

Coach Felix Sanchez, who had to prepare without several key players due to national team commitments, was confident of a positive outcome.

However, he acknowledged Al Shahania's strength, saying that the promoted side is returning with momentum after their 2-1 win over league leaders Al Duhail, which ended their five-match winning streak.

“The match will be challenging against a team that achieved a good result in their last match,” the Spaniard said in a press conference yesterday.

“Matches are always different after returning from the international break because our players come from different countries. We will try hard to prepare well and play a good match against Al Shahania,” Sanchez added.

Al Sadd are fifth in the standings with nine points, trailing Al Duhail by six points. Sanchez emphasised the need for consistency to ensure a successful title defence.

“In order to lead the league, we have to keep winning matches, and this is what we always try to achieve.”

Al Shahania moved up to 10th in the standings with five points following their win against Al Duhail, and coach Alvaro Mejia is eager for another upset.

“The Al Sadd match will be difficult. We were keen to prepare ourselves for this important match against Al Sadd, which are considered one of the best teams in Qatar,” Mejia said.

“The team is improving with each match, and we are ready for the Al Sadd match.”

The match kicks off at 7:30 pm, following an earlier tie between Al Khor and Al Rayyan at Al Khor Stadium, marking the start of the seventh round.

Younes Ali aims to steer Al Rayyan away from bottom

Al Rayyan, boasting players like Roger Guedes, Mahmoud Trezeguet, Abdulaziz Hatem, and Achraf Bencharki, have struggled to meet expectations, currently sitting in ninth place with just six points from six matches.

They were defeated by Al Arabi in their previous game, which marked Younes Ali's first match as Al Rayyan's coach.

The Qatari coach stressed the importance of the Al Khor match, as he aims to help Al Rayyan improve their position in the standings.

Al Rayyan players attend a training session on the eve of their match against Al Khor.

“Its importance lies in our efforts to make up for the points we lost in previous rounds and to move away from the bottom of the standings, gradually working towards the best possible position,” Younes Ali said.

Al Khor's poor start to the season led to the dismissal of coach Abdullah Mubarak after a record of three draws and three losses.

Currently bottom of the table, assistant coach Badr Al Maimani remained hopeful of a turnaround.

“We have a strong match against Al Rayyan, but I have great confidence in the players to perform well and do everything we can to collect the three points,” he said.

Meanwhile, Al Gharafa will host Umm Salal at Thani Bin Jassim Stadium in another match today. Umm Salal, who currently sit fourth with 10 points, are looking to continue their strong run, while Al Gharafa are hoping to bounce back after their defeat to Al Sadd. The Cheetahs currently occupy sixth place with eight points.

MENAFN18102024000063011010ID1108793919