Al Duhail’s Youssef El Arabi celebrates with team-mates during their AFC Champions League match against Lokomotiv of Uzbekistan Tuesday in Doha.
Doha: Al Duhail are having a dream season not just in Qatar but in Asia as well. They are on the verge of sealing the QNB Stars League (QSL) title weeks before the culmination of the lucrative competition.
Two results in favour of the QSL debutants today will seal the coveted ‘Falcon Trophy’ for them. The leaders in points standings will have to beat Al Kharaitiyat today and hope for Al Sadd’s defeat against Umm Salal in day’s earlier clash.
Al Duhail (51 points) had taken a giant leap in their title march by beating closest challengers and second-placed Al Sadd last week.
Al Duhail, who continued their perfect run at the AFC Champions League with a 3-2 win over PFC Lokomotiv earlier this week, have the top two scorers in Moroccan striker Youssef El Arabi (23 goals) and Tunisian attacking midfielder Youssef Msakni (21).
Djamel Belmadi’s men have also been benefiting from a healthy competition between them as far as goals were concerned.
Al Duhail had won 8-2 in the first phase against Al Kharaitiyat.
But Al Kharaitiyat who are struggling to avoid relegation are hoping to give Al Duhail a tough clash.
“We know the importance of this game. Al Duhail are in the best situation, not just in Qatar, but in Asia as well with their performance in the AFC Champions League. We must throw everything into this game and we are prepared for it,” said Al Kharaitiyat coach Yasser Sebaei.
“We have been suffering from individual mistakes in the last few games. We start matches in a positive way, but then fade out as they progress. Some players have not been performing to their potential. There is no room for selfishness in football.
“We are not bothered about the ranking. We take one match at a time and focus on it. These last three games are like finals. I know my players are under pressure. I always try to make them relax in training. It is our duty to get them in a relaxed state of mind both while training and playing. Only then will they bring out their best.
“We will miss the services of defender Mohammed Abdulrahman with four yellow cards. Goalkeeper Ahmed Sufyan is injured and is a doubtful starter,” said Yasser.
Al Sailiya vs Al Gharafa
Meanwhile, Al Sailiya will look to put behind their disappointment of losing to Al Khor when they take on Al Gharafa, with both teams have the common aim of top-four finish in the tournament.
Al Gharafa are fourth with 29 points, while Al Sailiya are sixth on 25 points. They both are sure to go all out to achieve their goal as only two more rounds will remain afterwards.
Al Gharafa beat Al Rayyan 6-1, while Al Sailiya lost to Al Khor 1-2 last week.
The Cheetahs are doing pretty well in the second phase, whereas The Peregrines have been on a decline after occupying the fourth position for many weeks. Al Sailiya (sixth, 25 points) will have the services of Nadir Belhadj.
Al Sailiya had won 3-2 in the first phase.
Umm Salal vs Al Sadd
Al Sadd are second in the table with 46 points, five behind Al Duhail. The Wolves hope their Spanish midfield star Xavi Hernandez and Iranian defender Morteza Mohammed recover from their injuries sooner rather than later. However, they are doubtful for this match.
Xavi injured his back muscle during their key QNB Stars League Week 19 clash against Al Duhail, which they lost 3-4, and had come out of the field in the first half.
Morteza sustained the injury during their 5-0 win over Al Ahli in Week 18.
Umm Salal will have the services of Adil Rhaili and Ismail Ibrahim, who sat out of their drawn game against Qatar SC that ended in a 2-2 draw.
Umm Salal are only one point behind Al Gharafa and will be eager to be back among the elite quartet and play in the Qatar Cup.
Al Sadd had won 4-1 in the first phase.
Al Rayyan vs Al Arabi
Al Rayyan stand third in the standings with 39 points, while Al Arabi have 18. Al Rayyan suffered a demoralising 1-6 defeat to Al Gharafa, whereas Al Arabi registered their second successive victory by prevailing 3-1 over Al Markhiya. They had beaten Al Kharaitiyat in Week 18.
The Lions had recently lost out in the title race and now trail leaders Al Duhail by 12 points and second-placed Al Sadd by seven.
Al Rayyan have Abderrazaq Hamdallah, Rodrigo Tabata and Sebastian Soria to lead their charge, while Al Arabi have the likes of Khalfan Ibrahim, Diego Jardel and Kwame Karikari to deliver the goods.
Al Arabi have been doing well of late and they will be keen to build on that as they seek a hat-trick of wins.
The match between Al Rayyan and Al Arabi will grab the most attention mainly because of their loyal fan base.
Al Rayyan had won 4-2 in the first phase.
