Umm Salal go head to head against Al Rayyan today in round 15 of the Qatar Stars League hoping for a win which will help them finish in the top four.
Umm Salal are just behind Al Rayyan in the standings in sixth position with 19 points but are sweating over the fitness of some key players.
“We are facing a tough team with a rich history. It will be hard because we have some players missing due to injury and suspensions but we will try to provide a good performance. I have full confidence in the players who will play,” said Mahmoud Jaber, the head coach of Umm Salal.
“I look for the balance between defence and attack. The players who will get the opportunity to play in this game should use this opportunity to prove themselves,” added the Egyptian tactician at his press conference yesterday.
Speaking about his impact on the team, Jaber added, “We got six points from my three games. If we keep playing in such a way we can get more points and play better in the next games. I’m not worried about the team but in football anything is possible. We are improving day by day and we can get more points from the remaining game.”
Al Rayyan are fifth in the standings and have 25 points from 14 games. The Lions will be looking for the win against a team who are just below them in the table.
Michael Laudrup, the head coach of Al Rayyan, is expecting a tough game.
“I expect Umm Salal to be physically strong and solid in the back. They have a lot of experience and have a very good striker in Sagbo. It’s a team that’s just below us on the table and the match is against a team who want to take our position in the table,” he said.
“Only one team can win the league and just because you win one year doesn’t mean you win every year. I am happy with the performance of the players, we just need to be more effective in front of goal and other than that I am satisfied,” added the Danish tactician.
Speaking about his team’s targets this season, Laudrup said, “teams like Lekhwiya and Al Sadd are going very strong and the rest of us are trailing them. I think what we have to concentrate now is to be in the top four and that is the target for the club.”
The first match of the day will see Muaither take on Al Shahania in a relegation battle. Phillipe Birol’s side are without a win now in seven league matches and will be aim to stop the rut against Al Shahania, a side who have recently appointed Croatian Igor Štimac as coach.
As for the Oryxes, they fell to a narrow 1-0 defeat to Al Rayyan in Štimac’s first game in charge of the club. The former Derby County defender has already labelled this match a six pointer and will be aiming for a reaction for his players.
Relegation is also on the agenda when Al Kharaitiyat, who are currently in the relegation zone, take on thirteenth placed Al Wakrah. The Thunders have been quietly improving over the next few weeks, and head coach Ahmed Ajlani will know a win will push his side out of the relegation zone.
As for Al Wakrah, they come into the tie off the back of an impressive 0-0 draw against title-chasing El Jaish. The Blue Waves will be hoping for more of the same again, and look to take some important points off their relegation rivals.
Umm Salal coach Mahmoud Jaber addresses the media at his press conference yesterday.
