Mark Bresciano believes everyone is a winner this season

The Al Gharafa star has been impressed by the level of competition in the Qatar Stars League so far. With seven games gone, there is everything to play for with just eight points between first place and 11th.

Compared to last season when Al Sadd ran away with the QSL from day one, it’s a development that has thrilled Australian star Bresciano. And he believes everyone from players, coaches and fans are getting real value for money this year.

He said: “It’s been a surprise the league is so tight this season. Last year Al Sadd dominated from the start and it made it difficult for everyone else to catch them. “This season it’s really tight. No-one has a big lead; just one or two victories will put you in a great position.

“For players this makes it really enjoyable because you know you have a real chance if you can string a couple of results together. I think it’s great for the fans as well because they are watching competitive football in which the players know everything is at stake. This makes it much more exciting.”

A hard-fought draw with Al Sadd last weekend was a good day’s work for Gharafa. But legendary Brazilian Zico – the Gharafa coach – insists it’s time to start winning consistently.

He said: “We didn’t have a long time to prepare for this game because it’s only been a few days since we finished the last game. “Hopefully the team can play just as well as we did against Al Sadd in the second half against Al Sadd.

We know Muaither made a great victory against Al Arabi so we will have to be wary of what they’re capable of. We need to take care of what they are doing.

 “We can’t win games with names alone. You have to have the determination to win. Thinking about what happened in the past achieves nothing.”

Muaither coach Ladislas Lozano said: “The situation means we have changed our way of training. We don’t have time between matches. “The players put in a lot of effort in the way we play. We need that preparation for this game. Gharafa don’t play in the same league as we do. I respect the team a lot. They have strong personalities and players who have won championships all over the world.

“I won’t mention all the players, but Nene and Lisandro Lopez in particular are big players we have to be wary of.

“But football is not about names. You don’t win by your name. There are always surprises in football. “We promise to give our best to try and create one of these surprises.

“There is no guarantee what we did against Al Arabi will be repeated against Al Gharafa, but we will do our best. “The players have to concentrate for a victory. They should be thinking nothing other than a victory. They should be imagining how to score. They need to see it.

“It’s all about positive thinking. People think we are a small team and we are fighting against relegation.  I respect what people think but we are working hard to prove them wrong.”