‘The match tomorrow is important after our first loss and we must bounce back immediately. The players are ready for this difficult game against Muaither’

Title hopefuls El Jaish take on Muaither today in the Qatar Stars League hoping to bounce back from their unlucky defeat to Lekhwiya on Tuesday.
An own goal my Lucas Mendes saw El Jaish go down 2-1 for their first defeat of the season, which cut their lead at to just one point with Al Sadd and Lekhwiya snapping at their heels.
With the tournament nearing the half-way stage, things will only get trickier at the top from now on and El Jaish coach Sabri Lamouchi is well aware that any further lapses could seriously dent their chances of winning the title for the first time.
“The match tomorrow is important after our first loss and we must bounce back immediately. The players are ready for this difficult game against Muaither,” Lamouch said at his press conference yesterday.
“Muaither’s matches against Al Sadd and Al Rayyan were very close, so we are not underestimating them going into the game,” added the Frenchman.
Lamouchi stressed that his young side can still take some positives from the game against Muaither.
“We hope we learn from this game. My team need the experience to play in games with high intensity and pressure. That is how we learn. I am proud of how my players played against Lekhwiya.
 “It was a difficult moment for the club, but now we must focus and come together to reach our goal.”
El Jaish are without a host of players for the match against Muaither, and Lamouchi said that it’s the right time for the non-regulars to step in.
 “Now it is a good time for the other players in my group to step up and take their chance,” he said.
As for Muaither, they are now on a three-game losing streak in the QSL and have dropped into the relegation zone.
“Jaish are the top of the league since the start of the season. We played well against a big team in Al Rayyan last time and I am targeting a similar performance.”
In their previous match Muaither narrowly lost 1-0 to Al Sailiya and slipped into the relegation zone. Despite the result Birol has drawn some positives from the defeat.
“In our last game we played the best match of the season in our opinion and had many chances to score in this game. We now need to focus on getting as many points as possible.
 “We have played three games and we have not scored a goal, this is a problem. However, I am happy how the team has progressed since the start of the season,” added the French coach.
Points are a priority for Muaither at the moment, and Birol revealed his expectations for the first half season.
“I am targeting 14 or 15 points by the first half of the season. With this tally we have a good chance to survive in the league,” he added.
The second game of the day will see Al Ahli take on Al Shahania who have been quietly picking up points, boosting their survival. The Brigadeers have yet to register a win under returning coach Yusef Adam and will be aiming to pull away from the relegation dogfight at the foot of the QSL standings.
Later in the day, Al Sailiya welcome an in-form Al Gharafa side to Al Ahli stadium. Sami Trabelsi’s Peregrines returned to winning ways last week againt Muaither and will be wanting more of the same against Al Gharafa.
As for the visitors, they have been on a fantastic run of form in recent weeks and are undefeated in eight QSL games. A win could further bolster Al Gharafa’s top four ambitions.
The final game of the day will see QSL champions Al Rayyan visit Al Wakrah who picked up their first win of the season against Al Khor. Lions supremo Michael Laudrup is expecting a big reaction from his players who lost 5-0 to Al Sadd in the Qatar Clasico.