Al Sadd will look to maintain their perfect start and stay at the top of the Qatar Stars League when the fourth round gets under way today, with Al Shamal and Al Rayyan hoping to keep the pressure on the defending champions.
The six matches will be played over three days, with Al Sadd facing Al Sailiya at Lusail Stadium today, in what appears to be a favourable fixture for the league leaders.
The three-time defending champions have won all three of their matches, scoring 13 goals in the process. Their latest success was a 4-1 victory over Al Gharafa, which left them alone at the summit. They have also reached the Qatar Cup final after beating Al Gharafa 2-1 in the semi-final.
Romanian coach Razvan Lucescu, however, is taking nothing for granted as Al Sadd begin a busy period of the season. "Every match in the league is difficult, so we must be prepared for it in the best way possible. We need focus and mental discipline, along with the desire to continue working hard, to be ready in all aspects, and to treat the match as if it were a final," Lucescu said yesterday.
"This is the beginning of a very busy period for us, but we have to adapt to these circumstances and deal with them in the right way, especially since we have a group of players ready to give their all in order to win."
Al Sailiya, meanwhile, are still searching for their first points of the campaign after losing their opening three matches. Their latest setback was a 2-0 defeat to Al Arabi, leaving them at the bottom of the table.
Coach Mirghani al-Zein acknowledged the size of the challenge but said his team would be determined to produce a response. "Al-Sadd is the strongest team in the league, but Al-Sailiya will enter the match with the aim of giving their best and achieving a positive result," al-Zein said.
"We know that facing Al Sadd will not be easy, so we must be at the peak of focus and discipline throughout the match, and play to our full potential and maintain organization and cohesion in all lines of the team."
Al-Zein added that Al Sailiya's performances had shown clear improvement from one match to the next, although the results had fallen short of expectations.
Second-placed Al Shamal, meanwhile, will aim for a third consecutive victory when they host Al Wakrah at Al Bayt Stadium today. Al Shamal have collected seven points from their opening three matches, following wins over Al Gharafa and Al Shahaniya and a draw in their opening game. A victory would keep them firmly in the title race and increase the pressure on Al Sadd.
Al Wakrah, on the other hand, are looking to recover from a damaging 4-0 defeat to newly promoted Lusail in the previous round. They have just one point and sit 11th, second from bottom.
Chilean coach Jose Luis Sierra said his side must learn from their mistakes and restore their confidence. "I apologise to the fans and the club for the previous match, and I believe that although we have not yet achieved victory, we are performing well technically and in terms of the level of football," Sierra said.
"Our goal is to bring the team back to its previous level and correct the mistakes. We hope that in the next match we can rectify the situation, change the image, and achieve a positive result."
Al Shamal coach David Prats expects a difficult encounter despite Al Wakrah's poor start. "Our match against Al Wakrah will be difficult because, in my opinion, they are one of the best teams in the league, even though they are not at their best during this period," Prats said.
"We are excited for the match and are looking forward to winning the three points, which is always our goal in every match we play."
Al Rayyan, also on seven points and behind Al Shamal on goal difference, will host Al Ahli at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium tomorrow. Al Rayyan were held to a 1-1 draw by Al Duhail in the previous round after winning their opening two matches. They will be keen to return to winning ways, having also reached the Qatar Cup final at the expense of Al Shamal.
Al Ahli, meanwhile, picked up their first victory of the season with a 1-0 win over Qatar SC. The result took them to four points and seventh place.
Elsewhere tomorrow, Al Gharafa will face Lusail at Khalifa International Stadium in a meeting between two sides heading into the game with contrasting momentum.
Al Gharafa have lost their last two matches and slipped to ninth with three points following their 4-1 defeat to Al Sadd. Lusail, by contrast, will be full of confidence after recording their first-ever top-flight victory, a 4-0 demolition of Al Wakrah that lifted them to sixth with four points.
Saturday's programme begins with Al Arabi taking on Qatar SC at Al Thumama Stadium. Al Arabi earned their first victory of the campaign with a 2-0 win over Al Sailiya, taking their tally to five points and moving them into fourth place. Qatar SC have endured a difficult start, with two defeats and a draw leaving them with one point in 10th place.
The round concludes with Al Duhail hosting Al Shahaniya at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium. Al Duhail are fifth with five points after their 1-1 draw against Al Rayyan and will be seeking their second victory of the campaign. Al Shahaniya, meanwhile, have three points after losing 2-0 to Al Arabi in the previous round.
Fixtures
Today: Al Shamal vs Al Wakrah at Al Bayt Stadium | 5:00pm; Al Sailiya vs Al Sadd at Lusail Stadium | 7:15pm
Tomorrow: Al Gharafa vs Lusail at Khalifa International Stadium | 5:00pm; Al Rayyan vs Al Ahli at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium | 7:15pm
On Saturday: Al Arabi vs Qatar SC at Al Thumama Stadium | 5:00pm; Al Duhail vs Al Shahania at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium | 7:15pm
