Al Duhail will look to regain their lead when they host Al Rayyan in the QNB Stars League today. The Red Knights surrendered their lead to Al Arabi last week when they lost to Al Gharafa but can go back to top spot today as they play their game in hand.
This fixture was postponed due to the teams’ participation in AFC Champions League. Duhail’s Argentinian coach Hernan Crespo realises that adverse results in his team’s remaining four matches in the competition, starting with the Rayyan fixture, could jeopardise their title chances.
“We will face a great team that has a good coach, we faced them a lot this season in the league, Ooredoo Cup and AFC Champions League, and we know each other well,” Crespo said yesterday.
“We are ready for this match and we have the priority to return to the top. The league is still in our hands although the team is not going through good moments, especially after losing in the last match against Al Gharafa. This defeat will not be an obstacle for us and the situation will be different in our match against Al Rayyan,” he added.
Crespo said Duhail will continue to miss Edmilson, Sultan al-Breik and Abdulrahman Mohamed and Nam Tae-hee due to injuries. Duhail will count on their strong attack led by Michael Olunga (the second highest scorer in the league after Al Wakrah’s Jacinto Dala) and Almoez Ali. They failed to score in their last game against Gharafa, suffering a second successive loss after they went down to Al Sailiya in the Amir Cup quarter-final.
Duhail’s defender Bassam al-Rawi said was expecting a tough match against Rayyan. “Our matches against Al Rayyan are always difficult, strong and exciting. This time, we will play them after losing to Al Gharafa in the last round and we will play strongly from the beginning to the end, as we are still the closest to winning the title,” the Qatari international said.
“Winning and losing are part of the game, and we were not lucky in the Amir Cup even in our last match against Al Gharafa. But we are physically and mentally ready for the game against Al Rayyan and we will go into it in order to win,” he added.
Rayyan, meanwhile, are in a difficult position in the table following their 2-2 draw with Al Sailiya. Nicolas Cordova’s men are in ninth place with 17 points – on par with Al Shamal, but have superior goal difference. Rayyan would therefore want to achieve a positive result to be well clear of the relegation zone.
“In the last matches, the performance was good and we scored goals, but the problem is to continue at the same pace, and this is due to the joining of new players who did not compete for two months with the team. And they could not fit in the required way, in addition to the many breaks this season. If the team continues for a year like this, the results will be better. The Al Duhail vs Al Rayyan matches have a special character between the two teams, regardless of their results,” said Cordova.
Meanwhile, Rayyan player Abdullah Ismail said the goal of the squad is to stay clear of relegation zone. “The match against Al Duhail will be difficult for both teams. We seek to obtain a positive result and appear at a good level. We consider the remaining matches in the league as finals and we will strive for the best to enhance Al Rayyan’s position in the table. The opportunity that the coach gave to young players gave them the confidence to give everything they have, and this is shown by the level of players on the field,” Ismail said.

Markhiya to face Shamal in key clash
In the other postponed fixture Al Markhiya face Al Shamal at the Qatar SC Stadium tomorrow. It is a crucial clash and both teams will take to the field with a fierce aim of scoring a win for the three valuable points.
While Shamal are eager to steer clear of the relegation zone, Markhiya would not want to move into the danger zone. Markhiya are currently in eighth place with 18 points and Shamal 10th with 17 points.
Both teams are licking their wounds from the defeats they faced in the previous round. Shamal lost to Wakrah 1-5 and therefore their coach Wesam Rizik has a tough task on hand in ensuring that the side makes up with a positive result over Markhiya. Rizik also realises that any further loss will make it difficult for the team’s mission and involve them in difficult calculations, given the small difference in points between the teams that are battling at the bottom rungs of standings.
Shamal rely on some of their distinguished players, the most prominent being midfielder Amjad Attwan, along with Mohammed El Sayed, Majed Mohamed, Yacine Bammou and Ali Olwan.
Markhiya, who were edged 3-2 by Umm Salal in the last round, have shown good form, but they will need to compensate for the loss. Their coach Abdullah Mubarak will warn his players and demand a winning performance because only a victory would assure Markhiya of staying away from a difficult scenario of the relegation zone.
The Markhiya coach relies on his players Ayoub Assal, Driss Fettouhi, Ali Nasser al-Marri, Jameel al-Yahmadi and goalkeeper Louay Ashour among others. Both teams are equally balanced adding to the difficulty and excitement of the contest.