Al Duhail’s Almoez Ali (left) during a training session.
Qatar’s football giants Al Sadd and Al Duhail will meet in a tasty QNB Stars League (QSL) clash, the result of which may play a crucial role in race for the title of country’s top flight.
Al Sadd, who are seeking their third consecutive title, are aiming for full points at their home turf of Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium today in a postponed Round 10 match. Hernan Crespo’s Al Duhail are on top of the standings with 35 points - four clear of Al Arabi – with Al Sadd being placed third, seven points behind the leaders.
The clashes between the top two QSL sides – having best combinations of national and foreign players – are always exciting and the importance of today’s tie makes it a must-watch game.
After a shaky start, Al Sadd, coached by Juan Manuel Lillo, made a brilliant comeback in their QSL campaign to jump to third in the standings, but Al Duhail pose them the biggest challenge since the league was resumed post the FIFA World Cup break.
“Considering that it is a big match, it is logical that it will be very difficult,” Lillo told a pre-match press conference yesterday.
Al Sadd’s Akram Afif (right) in action as team prepares for Al Duhail match.
“Given the strength of Al Duhail and also because they are at the top of the league, maybe we can win twice against Al Duhail and yet we may not win the title, and this is the case in football, you never know what will happen,” he added.
“It may also happen that we lose the match and still maintain our hopes of winning the title, if we lose it will be very difficult, but it remains difficult even if we win,” said Lillo, whose team defeated Al Markhiya in Amir Cup Round of 16 match last week.
While a victory will help Al Sadd cut Al Duhail’s lead, earning full points against the Wolves will be a huge boost in title hunt for the Red Knights, who also have one match in hands. “It will be a difficult match for both the two teams because of presence of quality players. We will play in order to achieve a positive result to widen the point difference between us and the clubs that are chasing us in the lead race,” Crespo told reporters yesterday.
“The team is ready for this match and we will try to show how strong we are, and you cannot expect the result related to what the players will present on the field, but we have to maintain the offensive part and implement our philosophy in order to achieve victory and continue to lead the league,” the Al Duhail coach added.
“I respect Al Sadd players and all players of other clubs, but my thinking and focus are all towards my players because I know that the team includes a group of players with great levels,” said Crespo.
Two more postponed games from Round 10: Al Sailiya vs Al Markhiya and Al Rayyan vs Al Wakrah will be played today, followed by another three matches of the round tomorrow.
