Al Wakrah's Jacinto Dala (right) with a team-mate during a training session.
After the Ooredoo Cup finals, the QNB Stars League (QSL) will resume tomorrow with defending champions Al Sadd set to take on Al Wakrah in an exciting Week 18 clash at Saoud Bin Abdulrahman Stadium.
The Wolves are returning to action after their 3-1 loss to eventual champions Al Duhail in the Ooredoo Cup semi-final on March 23, hoping to return to winning form against the Blue Waves.
The Juan Manuel Lillo-coached side is third in the QSL standings with 32 points from 17 games, seven behind leaders Al Duhail, who have played 16 matches so far.
Al Wakrah are fourth on the table with a tally of 27 points from seven wins, six draws and four defeats. Al Sadd are targeting a win to keep their hopes of third consecutive QSL title alive while Al Wakrah are seeking points to consolidate their top-four spot with Al Gharafa and Qatar SC just a point behind Marquez Lopez’s side.
Al Wakrah were the winners in the first leg edging Al Sadd 2-1 but tomorrow they are expected to face a tough challenge from Al Sadd, who are back to full strength.
The Blue Waves will hope their key players including Mohamed Benyettou, Jacinto Dala, Lucas Mendes and Khaled Munir to excel while Al Sadd will are pinning hopes on Akram Afif, Baghdad Bounedjah and Hassan Al Haydos.
The match may see the return of seasoned Rodrigo Tabata, who missed four weeks of action due to an injury.
Meanwhile, Al Duhail after beating Umm Salal in the Ooredoo Cup final will meet Al Sailiya in tomorrow’s second match at Hamad Bin Khalifa Stadium.
The match offers Hernan Crespo’s side three more points that will consolidate their top spot.
Bottom-side Al Sailiya, who are on nine points, will look for an upset as they are aiming to avoid relegation. They are four points behind Umm Salal and trailing Al Shamal by five points.
The Peregrines will hope for change in fortunes under new coach Mirghani Al Zain, who has replaced veteran Tunisian Sami Trabelsi. Al Sailiya and Al Duhail played a 1-1 draw in the first leg.
Meanwhile, the QSL matches falling during Ramadan will kick off at 9:45pm.
