Defending champions Al Duhail are aiming to bounce back from a shock defeat to Al Wakrah when they take on a resurgent Qatar SC today, even as Al Sadd will look to stay unbeaten in their tie against Al Khor in Week 4 of the 2020-21 season QNB Stars League.
Al Duhail are seventh in the table with three points, but have played one game less as their high-profile fixture against Al Sadd in Week 3 was postponed owing to both teams’ commitments in the 2020 AFC Champions League. The blockbuster clash is now scheduled for Wednesday at the Al Duhail Stadium.
The venue will also host the clash today at 5:30pm.
Qatar SC are in eighth position with three points. They made headlines before the tournament took a break on September 13 after Round 3 action by beating last season’s runners-up Al Rayyan 1-0 to register their first victory. 
Coached by former Qatar international midfielder Younis Ali, The Kings had previously lost 0-2 to Al Gharafa and 1-2 to Al Kharaitiyat.
“Al Duhail are coming from their failure to go past the group stage of 2020 AFC Champions League and they have the desire to compensate for it. On our part, we strive in every match to present our best and fare better,” Ali said ahead of the today’s match. 
“Definitely, our victory over Al Rayyan in the last round has had a positive impact on us and it was a great motivation for us. But the Al Duhail match is of great importance and we are ready not only to face Al Duhail, but also for all matches.”
For his part, Duhail coach Hatem al-Moaddeb said: “Al Duhail are the league champions and we could not afford to have such a start, as the team lost a match and won a match, and is now in seventh place. We must get back to the winning path in order to retain the title.
“The Qatar SC match is very important to us and we will be fully focused and everyone will see the real performance of Al Duhail team, starting from this match.”
At Al Khor Stadium (7:45pm kickoff), Xavi Hernandez’s Al Sadd will fancy their chances against tenth-placed Al Khor.
The Wolves, second in the league with six points from two matches, beat Al Arabi 4-0 to win the 2019-20 Ooredoo Cup just last week. They had beaten Al Kharaitiyat and Al Sailiya by an identical 5-1 margin in the first two weeks.
Al Khor, meanwhile, are 10th in the table with the two points they collected from draws with Al Arabi (2-2) and Umm Salal (goalless).
The Knights, who have Frenchman Hantz Frederic as their new coach, had lost 0-1 to Al Ahli in Week 3.
“The League championship is very important to us this season and our first goal is to win the title, so we are ready to compete for it. The international players are back with us after several days’ absence and we won the Ooredoo Cup,” Xavi said at the pre-match press conference.
“We are in good condition to face Al Khor which we know will be difficult because we will face a team that has made many changes, especially at the professional level.
“So we have to be ready and play with the ideal mentality to win points.”
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