Third-placed El Jaish take on defending champions Al Rayyan at the Qatar Stars Legue today.  Jaish come into the tie on shaky league form after registering just one victory in their last five games. Coach Sabri Lamouchi’s side has relinquished top spot in the league after their draw with the likes of Al Sadd, Al Wakrah and Al Khor in recent weeks.
As for fourth-placed Al Rayyan, they have been quietly finding their rhythm under Michael Laudrup in recent weeks. They head into the Jaish game on the back of a three-game winning streak in the league, which has seen them consolidate fourth place. In their last match, Rayyan put in an impressive performance to register a 4-0 win over Al Sailiya.
French coach Lamouchi stressed that his side are in good spirits ahead of the game. “When you play a big side like Al Rayyan, the preparation is easy. My team has trained well this week and we are fully ready for this game this week. Tomorrow is a important test for both clubs, we have to have a good performance and a good result. Our aim now is to finish in the highest possible position in the league,” he said.
Jaish dropped points in a frustrating 0-0 draw with Al Khor last time out. “The last game we only took one point and we didn’t score. Two games without goals and two draws to win we have to score. We have to find the right solution in attack, my team has to play for the victory that is my desire as a coach,” he added.
Jaish’s Uzbek winger Sardor Rashidov insisted that his side are aiming to finish the season on a high. “Our target is not to give up this season, I am satisfied with the team but we could be a better position without the injuries that we have suffered this season. The league is better this season, our aim now is to win as many points as we can,” he said.
Meanwhile, Laudrup said his side are coming into the game in good spirits. “We are in a good moment, tomorrow will be a big game between two good sides. We are looking forward to the challenge of El Jaish. El Jaish have been in front of Al Rayyan since the start of the competition, so the opportunity to go level and perhaps overtake them is a big motivation for my team,” the Danish coach said.
Rayyan could be without talismanic captain Rodrigo Tabata for the game, and Laudrup was not sure his number 10 would be in the squad. “I cannot say if he will play tomorrow or not, he is a big player for us and it’s a loss. With muscle injuries you have to be careful. I would rather miss him for one game than four games,” he said.