With the QNB Stars League title already wrapped up by Al Duhail, other teams will be scrapping to improve their standings during the remaining two rounds of the tournament.
Today will mark the penultimate round of the prestigious event with all the 12 teams in action simultaneously.
The outcome of the final two matches, however, will not affect Al Sadd and Al Rayyan, who have secured the second and third places comfortably, leaving Al Gharafa and Umm Salal to fight it out for the fourth place which will fetch them a spot in the Qatar Cup. Al Gharafa, who are currently in fourth place with 32 points, take on Al Arabi today, while Umm Salal, on 31, meet Al Rayyan.
Perhaps, Al Gharafa are one team that took maximum advantage of the changes they made during the January transfer window. And they reaped rewards for them.
Turkish coach Bulent Uygun came in place of Frenchman Jean Fernandez, who had helped them clinch the QSL Cup, while Dutch attacking medio Wesley Sneijder and Iranian Mehdi Taremi immediately started giving returns for the investment. Asim Madbo too joined their ranks.
Al Gharafa, who drew against Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli in the Champions League, will now focus on the QNB Stars League against Al Arabi.
“As I have repeated, our target is a top-four finish and we are out to achieve that. We are determined to win the next two games. We have gained much ground in the second phase of the league campaign and more than made up for the lapses in the first half,” said Uygun.
“We are under tremendous pressure as Umm Salal are only one point behind us. However, we have the ambition and fire in us to stay in the fourth place.
“I thank my players for all the good performances in the QNB Stars League and also AFC Champions League. I am keeping my wards focused for the Al Arabi game.
“We have not seen Al Arabi in such a good form, so we will show the same determination. We will be without injured Almahdi Ali and Tamer Jamal. Mehdi Taremi is also nursing an injury and is a doubtful starter,” added Bulent.
Al Arabi, coached by Croat Luka Bonacic, also took advantage of the winter transfer window. They had only nine points at the end of first phase from two victories and three draws, but they did well of late and a hat-trick of victories is proof of that. They stayed off the danger zone as well.
Meanwhile, Al Rayyan will look to put behind their disappointment of losing to Al Arabi in the ‘fans’ derby’ last week. The Lions are already assured of the third place with 39 points, after new champions Al Duhail and Al Sadd.
Al Rayyan have been having an unbeaten run in the AFC Champions League and registered their first victory last week, against Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal in Group D. 
Umm Salal will be keen to win and thus displace Al Gharafa from the fourth position.
The Orange Fortress did well in the first phase of this season’s QNB Stars League and occupied the fourth position before they were displaced by Al Sailiya.
Al Rayyan and Umm Salal had played out a 1-1 draw in the first phase.
Qatar SC can afford to take it easy against Al Kharaitiyat who, on the other hand, are fighting with their back to the wall to avoid relegation. Qatar SC are eighth with 22 points, while Al Kharaitiyat are 11th with only 13 points.
Al Sadd have already been assured of the runners-up spot in this season’s QNB Stars League, yet they would be keen to keep winning. The Wolves had lost 1-2 to Umm Salal last week.
As for Al Khor, they are out of the danger zone, but would be eager to make amends for their 0-2 loss to Qatar SC in Week 20.
Al Markhiya defeated Al Sadd in the very first round and then Al Gharafa in Week 18. However, both results were overturned, the first for fielding an ineligible player and then for violating the rule regarding fielding of resident players. They included six instead of the stipulated five in the start list.
Al Markhiya have everything to play for against new champions Al Duhail as The Oryxes, last with 12 points, face a strong possibility of getting relegated.
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