Al Sadd will have to play out of their skins when they take on table-toppers Lekhwiya in a crucial Qatar Stars League match today. The match will be played at Al Sadd stadium at 6.30pm.
Both teams are unbeaten so far in 15 matches, but Lekhwiya are two points ahead, on 39, having drawn just three matches against Al Sadd’s four.
Incidentally, one of the draws the teams played was in a match in October when they clashed with each other. The thrilling 3-3 result was enough indication that there is precious little to choose between the two teams in terms of resources.
Al Sadd come into today’s tie after a hard-fought 1-0 win over Al Ahli. The Wolves seemed to struggle with the absence of leading scorer Bagdad Bounedjah, who has left the side to represent Algeria at the African Nations Cup.
Despite this, Al Sadd still came away with the all- important three points thanks to a fine strike from Meshaal
al-Shammari.
Lekhwiya, meanwhile, registered one of their best performances of the season in round 15, easily defeating in-form Al Gharafa 3-0.
Even more impressive was the fact that Lekhwiya didn’t seem to lose any of their attacking verve with the absence of top scorer Yusef al-Arabi who is also playing the African tournament, representing Morocco.
With Al Sadd taking on the best attack in the league, their defence will have to be at their very best if they are to come away with a famous win. Pedro Miguel could hold the key for the Wolves in this game. The former Al Ahli man has been a leading figure in the Sadd back-line this season, and has also popped up with some important goals at times.
As for Lekhwiya, coach Djamel Belmadi will be looking to win the midfield battle and keep Al Sadd captain Xavi quiet. Qatar international midfielder Karim Boudiaf will be charged with trying to disrupt the Al Sadd tempo in the centre of the park. Boudiaf certainly has the attributes to be a difference maker in this high stakes game, and it will be interesting to see how he is deployed for his side against Al Sadd.
“Both teams are strong in defence and attack. Lekhwiya have improved in front of the goal this season and it promises to be a close game. The difference is two points, both teams are suffering from key absences in strikers and we are both looking to win the title,” said Al Sadd coach Jesualdo Ferriera.
Ferriera noted that a defeat wouldn’t harm his side’s title chances. “My side’s aim is to win the title this season, and this will be a big challenge for both teams this week. For me it’s not the crucial game for the championship as we have ten games left after this game. We will look to maintain our performance, I think if we keep at the same level we can come away with a result.”
Lekhwiya’s assistant coach Bruno Olivera is expecting a thrilling encounter.
“It will be an exciting game on Friday, this is type of game we want to play, and it’s first against second and it’s good for the league and it’s good for the country.”
Olivera believes his side have improved significantly from last season. “We feel that we have been stronger mentally. The fact we did not win the title certainly will help us.  However, our squad has a winning mentality and they have stepped up this year and it has been shown on the pitch.”
“This will be a tough battle in midfield. We don’t have any special concerns over individuals in Al Sadd. We will be aiming to play the same way that we have done always over the course of the season.”


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