Michael Laudrup
After enduring back-to-back defeats last week, the reigning Qatar Stars League (QSL) champions Al Rayyan are desperate to bounce back strongly when they will take on Al Wakra in their round 23 fixture at Al Sadd Stadium tomorrow.
Al Rayyan who have been occupying a third place in best part of the season are targeting to secure the position as the lucrative league heads into the final stages.
The Michael Laudrup’s side, however is facing tough challenge from El Jaish and any undesired result can prove detrimental to their task of finishing third in the league led by Al Sadd and Lekhwiya.
The QSL champions lost their QSL round 22 fixture to Al Gharafa before going down against Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal in their AFC Champions League group stage fixture 2-1 after conceding a last-gasp goal.
Laudrup, though was not dejected with his team’s overall show against the Saudi club, he stressed his side to bounce back with vengeance.
“We lost our previous games and therefore we have to come back strong,” the Danish great said at a pre-match conference yesterday before explaining his decision to make changes for the round 22 tie.
“I had to change the players in Al Gharafa game because it is not logical to play with the same players in three games within a short period of time,” said the coach. While Al Rayyan’s next clash against Al Wakra, who are battling to escape relegation is relatively easy, Laudrup is not taking anything for granted.
“We will seek to win the game to keep up the spirit and to secure our position. We are well aware of the difficulty and importance of this game due to the fact that we face Al Wakra, a team fighting to avoid relegation. We are sure that Al Wakra will bring their best into the game to win the three points.”
The Al Rayyan coach added that his team wants to go into the break with a win.
“We also know that the league fixtures are packed. After this round we have a stoppage period which is for the benefit of the Qatar’s national team,” he said.
Meanwhile, Al Wakra coach Kais Al Yaaqoby hoped his team will put up a spirited fight against the tough opponents.
“We still have hope to survive in the QSL. We will play to achieve a positive result. One point from Al Rayyan is considered a positive result. We are ready for the match, hoping that the player will consider their reputations, the club Management and the technical staff.” Al Yaqoby indicated that the coach is always responsible and the figures don’t accurately represent the performances.
“The highest score we conceived was three goals. What the team is missing a leader in each of the three lines.”
Al Wakra head coach demanded his players to be armed with fighting spirit and self-confidence in order to regain their balance.
