Al Duhail coach Sabri Lamouchi
Plenty will be at stake for QNB Stars League (QSL) reigning champions Al Duhail today when they take on Al Gharafa in the Round 17 clash this afternoon.
Sabri Lamouchi-coached Al Duhail, currently placed second in the standings, are 13 points behind leaders Al Sadd and are almost out of contention for the title. If Al Duhail go down against Al Gharafa and Xavi Hernandez’ men win their Round-17 clash against Al Arabi today, Al Sadd will gain an inaccessible 16-point lead, ensuring their 15th title.
Al Duhail prevailed with a 2-1 margin against Al Gharafa in the Qatar Cup semi-final just four days ago, but Lamouchi hinted that there will be plenty of changes when the two teams meet again.
“After our 2021 Qatar Cup semi-final victory Al Gharafa, our focus has been more on the recovery of our players and restoring their physical readiness in preparation for the next match against Al Gharafa, in which we have to make greater efforts in order to achieve victory,” Lamouchi said during a pre-match press conference yesterday.
“Our squad could witness a number of changes, but we must take into account the element of harmony and the need to maintain balance within the group. For me, I will count on the best 11 players to play this match. Facing Al Gharafa again is a new challenge,” the coach said.
“Regarding the changes, when I saw where the previous match was heading for, I had to make some decisions that had the possibility of success or failure. The coach is always responsible for his choices and we should make changes to improve the team’s performance and achieve the result we want,” Lamouchi, who took charge of the Al Duhail team earlier this season, said.
Despite the high risk of losing the QSL crown to dominant Al Sadd this season, Lamouchi stays positive and said his team will continue to fight for titles as his team targets silverware in the Qatar Cup final against Al Sadd on February.
“We will play all matches with full force and will continue to compete for all titles. Al Duhail are used to playing for titles,” Lamouchi said.
Al Duhail have recorded 10 wins this season in QSL, and have suffered five defeats while sharing points in one game. Their goal difference is +18 (39 goals for and 21 against).
Meanwhile, Al Gharafa (29 points) have slipped fourth place after their 0-1 loss to Al Sailiya allowing Qatar SC (also 29 points) to go third on better goal difference. The Cheetahs, coached by Slavisa Jokanovic, have registered eight wins, three draws and five defeats. They have scored 31 goals and conceded 23.
Al Gharafa coach Slavisa Jokanovic
Al Gharafa had beaten Al Duhail 3-0 in the first leg of the QSL season and will be looking to disappoint Al Duhail once again.
Jokanovic said he and his players know their opponent well and looking for a positive result in today’s match.
“We have to focus on ourselves and be ready for the contest. Al Duhail will not be different from what we saw in the previous match (Qatar Cup semi-final which Al Duhail won 2-1) and there are not many secrets between us. We know them well as they know us and we must be more effective and take advantage of the opportunities that arise during the match,” Jokanovic said yesterday.
“We have to put behind the disappointment of losing to Al Duhail in the Qatar Cup. We are focusing now on what is coming. We may go back to the previous match and analyse it.
“But we are facing a new challenge and we have to be ready to press hard to get a better result than what we got in the last match. We hope to make use of the opportunities and focus on Al Duhail match,” said Jokanovic, the former Yugoslavian midfielder who joined Al Gharafa following a four-year stint at Fulham FC in the Premier league.
The match kicks off at 4:45 at the Qatar SC Stadium.
