Holders Al Sadd take on Al Duhail in the Ooredoo Cup at the Qatar SC Stadium today. The game was postponed owing to both teams’ campaigns in the 2020 AFC Champions League. Sadd are currently fourth in the Group A table with four points, following their first victory in this season’s tournament they recorded on Wednesday. Hashem Ali scored the all-important goal. The Wolves earned their other point from their 4-4 draw with Al Sailiya in Round 3. Sadd had lost 2-3 to Qatar SC in Round 2.
On the other hand, Reigning QNB Stars League champions Duhail are languishing at the bottom of Group A with three points that they collected from their 1-0 victory over Qatar SC, with Yasen Abdullah netting the winner. 
The Red Knights had lost 1-3 to Al Sailiya in Round 2 and to Al Wakrah by the same scoreline in Round 3.
The result will have a strong bearing on both teams’ chances of reaching the knockout quarter-finals, so a keen contest is on cards. Sadd coach Xavi Hernandez is expected to rely on the same group of players, especially youngsters, who played their last match against Al Khor, such as goalkeeper Jehad Mohammed, Ahmed Bader Sayyar, Bahaa Ellethy, Saoud al-Nasr, Hashem Ali, Moaz Abdullah, Abdullah al-Yazidi, Faisal Mohamed and Hossam Kamal besides vastly-experienced player Rodrigo Tabata.
Sadd also have option of playing Salem al-Hajri and Ali Asad, who were back in training on the match eve after they recovered from the injury that kept them away from the team over the past eight months.
Al-Hajri suffered a Achilles tear during the game against Al Kharaitiyat in the Amir Cup Round of 16, while Asad suffered the same injury during the final training session in Riyadh in preparation for the game against Al Nassr, in the second round of the 2020 AFC Champions League. The duo underwent surgery before committing to a treatment and rehabilitation program for eight months, in preparation for rejoining the first team training.
Duhail are likely to field a squad comprising mostly young players, like Diyab Haroon, Saleh Saeed, Mohamed Emad Aiash, Abdulrahman al-Jassem, Khaled Yousef, Yasen Abdullah and Abdullah Arafa, in the company of goalkeeper Ahmed Sofyan and captain Mohamed Moosa.