Al Duhail will look to close the gap on leaders Al Sadd when the two giants of Qatar football face off in the QNB Stars League at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium today.
Sadd have been dominant this season, having remained unbeaten in 13 matches to open an eight-point lead at the top with 35 points. Holders Duhail had an inconsistent start to their campaign before settling in under Sabri Lamouchi, who returned to the helm of the Red Knights three month ago, and are in second place with 27 points.
With Al Sadd in a race of their own, the time is running out for Duhail to keep their chances of retaining the title. Both the teams were in devastating form last week, with Al Sadd outclassing Al Sailiya 8-0, before Al Duhail responded with an 8-1 win over Al Wakrah. With Lamouchi’s men gradually gaining the lost ground, it will be a case of who blinks first in the marquee clash today.
“Our match against Al Sadd probably comes at the most crucial stage. But Al Duhail are fully prepared for the match,” Lamouchi said yesterday.
“I have great confidence in the players’ ability to provide the best performance on the field. The match will not be easy for us against an attacking team like Al Sadd who play with a distinctive line of attack. Losing against them can cause us to lose ground on the points table, but we will play with enthusiasm and see what happens,” he added.
Al Sadd have had the better of Al Duhail in recent times. The Wolves won 3-1 in the league three months, before thrashing their bitter rivals 4-1 in the semi-finals of the 2020 Amir Cup. Al Sadd coach Xavi Hernandez admitted to the importance of today’s clash, calling it a final.
“We have the opportunity to increase the difference and if we win this competition, the probability of winning it is very high. So this confrontation is a final for us. We are playing at our home and going through a very good period, and Al Duhail are also in a good period, so I think that everyone can watch a good game and see a great performance from both teams,” the Spaniard said.
“We are now in the best position in the past years, we are at the top of the table by eight points ahead of Al Duhail, and that means a lot to us, and now we need to get three points in this match. Al Duhail are a team that has the mentality of winning all the championships like Al Sadd, and this means that the match will be very difficult like the last matches we played against them and it was really difficult but Al Sadd were the best, and we have to continue this way, and we are mentally prepared to compete as always,” he added,
Xavi was unsure whether Akram Afif and Boualam Khoukhi, who have recovered from coronavirus, will be available for today’s match. “We will assess their condition, as they were in isolation for nearly two weeks and therefore we do not know if they are ready or not,” he said.
In another match today, third-placed Qatar Sports Club will take on Al Rayyan, who are sixth. Qatar SC are on a high, having scored back to winning ways following two drawn encounters. Younes Ali-coached side have had an incredible run so far, in which they have held Al Sadd 1-1. Qatar SC have 23 points, the same as Al Gharafa, but the former are placed third on better goal difference.
Al Rayyan, now under famous French coach Laurent Blanc, will be eager to continue their winning ways and break into the top four.
Meanwhile, Al Sailiya take on bottom-placed Al Kharaitiyat at the Al Ahli Stadium. Al Sailiya are placed eighth with 15 points, and are in need of morale-boosting after being thrashed by Al Sadd in the last round.
Al Kharaitiyat, now under former Qatar international midfielder Wesam Rizik who recently replaced Yousef Adam, remain as the basement side with only six points.
Al Duhail coach Sabri Lamouchi (left) and his Al Sadd counterpart Xavi Hernandez attend a press conference yesterday, on the eve of their QNB Stars League match.
