Leaders Arabi hope to keep momentum going

Leaders Al Arabi will be hoping to keep the momentum going when they take on Umm Salal today at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium before the league takes a break for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.Just two points separate the The Dream Team (15) from the second-placed Al Duhail, who are also in action against Al Sailiya at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium.“Umm Salal are a difficult team and our games against each other are always exciting. They missed some points, but they remain a strong rival. We are now thinking about Umm Salal and the three points,” Al Arabi coach Younes Ali said yesterday.Arabi suffered their first loss of the season against Duhail two rounds ago but bounced back with a slick 5-1 hammering of Sailiya. “We have to continue diligence and focus more on the upcoming matches. We played the Al Sailiya match with a strong desire to return to the winning path and the result was special. I hope that such spirit will be present in our next match. The focus and desire to win is greater than the previous match.”He, however, said that being at the top of the table is not a primary concern.“I always think about winning only, thinking about the lead position is not one of my concerns at the moment. Our focus is on the next match, and then the next one. The league journey is still long,” said Ali.Umm Salal, coached by former Qatar international midfielder Wesam Rizk, are in lowly 10th place with six points (one victory, three draws and two defeats). The Orange Fortress have a goal difference of -4 (four goals for and eight against).Umm Salal, who played out a 2-2 draw with Al Gharafa in Week 6, will definitely seek their second victory.If Arabi falter, Duhail can emerge the new leader with a win over Sailiya, who have won only one match out of six so far. Al Duhail’s Argentinian coach Hernan Crespo has said the Red Knights are aiming to move into the leadership position.“We are ready for the Al Sailiya match, and everyone is working hard to win and collect points. We want to build a new philosophy for the team,” said Crespo while speaking to the media yesterday.“Al Duhail are a great team and we must always find solutions and collect points in all the matches we play because the teams we face are doing their best to make our task difficult.“This clash against Al Sailiya assumes more importance since it comes before a long break of the league and we must achieve a win and this depends on our focus and discipline on the field. We are entirely focused on this match,” he stressed.Al Sailiya badly need points at this stage before the league takes a long break after the seventh round. The Peregrines have only one victory this season so far to show for their efforts. Al Sailiya, under the tutelage of Tunisian Sami Trabelsi, are in the 11th place with three points (one win and five defeats) and have a goal difference of -5 (four goals for and nine against).Al Sailiya will certainly want to avoid the situation they were in last season when they retained their place in the QNB Stars League by winning the Relegation Play-Off.Meanwhile Al Gharafa will meet Al Markhiya in the third match of the day at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium. The match is sure to generate excitement, given that both teams are in good form. Al Gharafa, who drew 2-2 with Umm Salal last week, are placed fourth with nine points (two victories, three draws and one defeat). The Cheetahs’ goal difference is +1 (11 goals for and 10 against).Italian Andrea Stramaccioni-coached Al Gharafa are on same number of points with Al Ahli and Al Shamal, but are placed ahead of both of them on goal difference.On the other hand, Al Markhiya, under the guidance of Qatari coach Abdullah Mubarak, are in seventh position with eight points (two victories, draws and defeats each). The Oryx have a goal difference of -1 (seven goals for and eight against). Al Markhiya, who shocked reigning champions Al Sadd in the opening round, defeated Al Rayyan 2-1 in the round six match.