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Al Rayyan will look to maintain their perfect start to the Gulf Club Champions League (GCCL) when they face Omani side Al Nahda this evening at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Muscat in a Group B clash.The Qatari giants come into the second round of the group stage brimming with confidence after a dominant 5-0 victory over Al Tadamun Hadramaut in their opening match. Now topping the group, Al Rayyan are aiming to consolidate their lead with another strong performance.Speaking ahead of the game, Al Rayyan head coach Artur Jorge underlined the importance of the fixture and his team’s ambitions. “We are heading into another match in the Gulf Championship against Al-Nahda, and we are aware of the importance of this match, which will not be easy,” said the Portuguese tactician during the pre-match press conference Tuesday.“Our goal is to continue winning in this tournament. We must do our best and perform at the level Al Rayyan is known for. We have great ambitions in this tournament, through which we hope to achieve the best results and reach the final. This requires all players to exert their utmost effort in every match.”Spanish forward Rodrigo Moreno, one of the standouts in the opening round, echoed his coach’s sentiments, stressing the team’s commitment to continuing their strong form. “Our preparations were good for this important match, through which we hope to continue our victories and achieve the desired result that will help us advance further in the tournament,” said Moreno.“We respect our opponents greatly, and we will play to continue our victories and achieve the three points we seek. This is an important tournament for us, and we seek to compete. We are ready for the challenge. We must maintain the same level we showed in the last match and play with the same enthusiasm in order to achieve victory.”

Al Hilal continued the perfect start to their campaign with a 3-1 victory over Al Sadd in their AFC Champions League Elite 2025-26 tie Tuesday.Strikes from Yusuf Akcicek, Kalidou Koulibaly and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic steered Simone Inzaghi’s side to a third victory while Al Sadd’s wait for a triumph continued as they suffered defeat after having started with two draws.Al Hilal, who were missing Joao Cancelo and Salem al-Dawsari, made five changes to the starting line-up that defeated Al Ettifaq 5-0 in a Saudi Pro League tie on Friday while Al Sadd introduced four changes from their last continental stage outing against United Arab Emirates’ Sharjah.Following a cagey start, the home side had the first look at goal in the 10th minute after Ruben Neves helped set up Kaio Cesar from a corner, only for the Brazilian midfielder to fire wide off the right post.Al Sadd were almost punished in the 18th minute when Milinkovic-Savic and Abdullah Al Hamddan combined to split open their defence, only for Savic’s effort to be parried away by keeper Meshaal Barsham.Another lapse followed in the 23rd minute as Mohamed Kanno’s cross found Milinkovic-Savic, who had the time and space to pick his spot but missed his target from the top of the box but Al Hilal made no mistake two minutes later.The pressure finally got to the Qatari side after they failed to deal with a Santos Almeida free-kick, allowing Koulibaly to nudge the ball into the path of Akcicek, who slotted home from close range. The Qatari side were caught out again in the 40th minute after Ruben Neves whipped in a cross for Koulibaly to power home with a header.The four-time Asian champions threatened to extend their advantage in the second half with Ahmed Suhail and Milinkovic-Savic coming close two minutes after the restart, while Marcos Leonardo saw his soft close range attempt parried away by Barsham.Against the run of play, Al Sadd pulled one back in the 63rd minute when a clever Pedro Miguel pass found Roberto Firmino - who tasted continental glory with Al Ahli Saudi FC last season - to slot home.Sergio Alegre’s side came knocking again 10 minutes later when Pedro Miguel released Paulo Otavio inside the box, only for Koulibaly to intervene with a clearance. Al Hilal, however, put the game to bed in the 82nd minute with Milinkovic-Savic curling a stunning free-kick over the Al Sadd wall past a sprawling Barsham.Al Hilal had a chance to extend their lead in stoppage time after Abdullah Al Yazidi conceded a penalty but Barsham kept out Cesar’s spot-kick but it did not dampen the gloss on their victory. Al Hilal will seek a fourth win against Al Gharafa SC on November 3 while Al Sadd will play Al Ahli Saudi FC a day later.

Fermin Lopez bagged a hat-trick and Marcus Rashford struck twice for Barcelona in a 6-1 demolition of Olympiacos to get the Catalan giants back on track in the Champions League.Teenage star Lamine Yamal was also on target for Hansi Flick's side, who lost against holders Paris Saint-Germain in their previous European outing in the league phase. After a Lopez double, Ayoub El Kaabi pulled one back from the penalty spot for the Greek champions, but Santiago Hezze's red card allowed injury-hit Barcelona to rack up a big scoreline and go provisionally third.Flick was without Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and several other regulars, but his team were able to build some confidence at the Olympic stadium ahead of the Clasico against Real Madrid on Sunday in La Liga. "I'm very happy, we needed a win like that, we ended it feeling good and now to think about the Clasico," Lopez said after his treble. "I'm grateful to the team and want to continue in this dynamic."Barcelona only just scraped a win over Girona on Saturday in a tight Catalan derby, and almost fell behind right at the start against the Greeks. Alejandro Balde gave the ball away and veteran goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny had to get down well to deny Daniel Podence.Balde quickly made amends in attack as his driving runs helped Barca carve open the visitors. Rashford volleyed narrowly over after 17-year-old playmaker Dro Fernandez and Balde connected on the left. Balde was involved again as Barca took an early lead, feeding Lopez, who played in Yamal.Olympiacos goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis got down well to dispossess the teenage winger, but Lopez was on hand to bundle home the loose ball. Rashford drilled a free-kick into the side-netting as Barca controlled the game, although they lacked focus in defence, which has been a consistent problem this season. With Sunday's Clasico beckoning, their lapses in concentration are a worry.Lopez netted his second after 39 minutes, having been played in by Dro on his Champions League debut. The midfielder almost scored his hat-trick early in the second half but Tzolakis tipped his header around the post from Yamal's cross. Olympiacos pulled their way back into the game through Moroccan striker El Kaabi.The forward got between Pau Cubarsi and Eric Garcia to head home, and although the goal was disallowed for offside, Olympiacos were then awarded a penalty for handball by Garcia. El Kaabi slotted past Szczesny to give his team a lifeline, but minutes later their chances faded.Barca's Marc Casado slumped to the ground after a seemingly innocuous contact with Hezze, who was harshly shown a second yellow card. Rashford won a penalty after tumbling under Tzolakis's challenge, and Yamal sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to extend Barca's lead after 68 minutes.In fine form during his loan from Manchester United, Rashford netted two goals in six minutes, either side of Lopez's third as the Catalans ran amok. Rashford twice beat Tzolakis with clinical low near-post finishes to reach four goals in the Champions League this season after his brace in their win at Newcastle.

Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany did not waste time thinking about his new contract, saying his main request to club bosses was that Tuesday's announcement did not disrupt preparations for Wednesday's Champions League match against visiting Club Brugge.The German champions announced a contract extension with the Belgian coach by two years following Bayern's winning start to the season with 11 wins from 11 matches across all competitions. "I did not spend any time thinking about it," Kompany told a press conference. "The question came and my only request was that this was not going to become a big issue. It will be done with quickly and we can focus on the next game. It was no big issue and no talks. Quickly and clearly and then we can focus on the next game. There are not too many better places (to work at) than Bayern."Kompany won the Bundesliga with Bayern in his first season in charge and the German champions are now on seven league wins from seven matches to top the league table. In the Champions League they are seeking their third straight victory when they host the Belgian club on Wednesday in a match for which Kompany, a product of Belgian rivals Anderlecht, feels like a bit of a rivalry."I just thought about it. We play a Belgian team but my youth was spent at Anderlecht. There is a bit of a competition feeling," he said. "I have a lot of respect individually for people at Club Brugge but if it is only about me, there is a bit of that rivalry feeling."One experience he is not keen on revisiting was the racist abuse he and his then Anderlecht team had to endure at a game in Brugge in 2021 when he was coaching the Brussels club. "It's a really difficult answer. I was the captain of the national team, I played for the national team for 17 years and you go to a place and your staff gets called 'a brown monkey'," Kompany said. "It is not easy. I don't want to focus on anything else right now. After the game I was speechless, four years later I am still speechless."

Nottingham Forest have appointed Sean Dyche as their new head coach on a deal until 2027, the Premier League club announced. The 54-year-old former Burnley and Everton boss has replaced Ange Postecoglou after the Australian was sacked on Saturday following just 40 days in charge at the City Ground.Dyche, a Forest trainee under celebrated manager Brian Clough, becomes the club's third boss this season in what is his first job since the Englishman left Everton at the start of this year. Former Manchester City and Italy manager Roberto Mancini was reported to have held talks with Forest about the role, while Fulham boss Marco Silva was also linked to the vacancy.But Forest opted for Dyche, with the club saying in a statement: "A respected and experienced Premier League manager, Dyche brings the perfect blend of character, tactical acumen and proven achievement to guide the club through its next chapter."Dyche's first game in charge will be Thursday's Europa League tie at home to Porto, with his opening Premier League fixture away to Bournemouth on Sunday. His coaching staff will include two former Forest players in Ian Woan and Steve Stone.Postecoglou was sacked just minutes after Saturday's 3-0 loss to Chelsea, making him the shortest-serving permanent manager in Premier League history. Owner Evangelos Marinakis dismissed the former Spurs boss after no wins from his opening eight games.Postecoglou was appointed following the exit of Nuno Espirito Santo, who was himself sacked in September following the collapse of his relationship with Marinakis. Forest are in the Premier League relegation zone with just five points after eight games despite a squad bolstered by over £100mn ($134mn) of investment during the transfer window.Maradona's heirs sign deal with Swedish company to market brandThe five heirs to Argentinian football legend Diego Maradona, who died in 2020, have signed a deal with Swedish-Iranian businessman Ash Pournouri and his company Electa Global to market products under the Maradona name, the Swedish company said. The company said in a statement that under the long-term agreement "Electa will manage all aspects of product design, manufacturing, marketing, and retail, in close coordination with the family.""There aren't many official Maradona products," Pournouri said. Argentina's legendary number 10 died of a heart attack on November 25, 2020, at the age of 60.But while other football stars, such as Cristiano Ronaldo or Kylian Mbappe, have leveraged their names and stardom into brands, Maradona never did. "This is partly because it didn't happen during his lifetime, and since his passing, his family and children haven't wanted to undertake anything with anyone," Pournouri explained, adding that "it took some time to earn their trust.""Our father's name means so much to millions of people around the world," the heirs were quoted saying. They continued to say "it's not just about products." "It's about preserving who Diego was – his passion, his energy, and his love for people."Initially, high-end clothing, shoes, and accessories will be designed for the European market.

Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso praised Kylian Mbappe for his stellar form this season, as the French forward tops both the La Liga and Champions League scoring charts ahead of Wednesday's home clash with Juventus. Mbappe, 26, who joined Real from Paris St Germain last season, has scored 10 goals in nine LaLiga matches and five in two Champions League appearances, alongside three goals for the French national team this term. His form has helped Real make a strong start under Alonso, winning 10 of their 11 games across all competitions. The Spanish side lead LaLiga with 24 points, two ahead of Barcelona, and have secured maximum points in the Champions League. "It's not just the goals," Alonso told reporters. "His influence is almost as important in terms of his teammates following him with and without the ball. He's helping us. He's scored goals everywhere. The influence, as well as the goals, is what the team needs." Real face a struggling Juve side who have not won in more than a month and sit seventh in the Serie A standings, four points behind leaders AC Milan. However, Alonso warned against taking the Italians lightly. "We're on alert for Juve tomorrow. Any Italian team that's struggling can be dangerous. We must not forget history. Juve are a big club, both now and in the past. They have some very good players," he said. "It's a European classic. They have faced each other many times, and I’ve played in some of those games. We feel very prepared. We want our third Champions League victory and to get off to a great start. We need the stadium. People go to the Bernabeu wanting to see big games. We have to give them what they want so that they respond in kind." Courtois slams La Liga over plans for Barca-Villarreal Miami match Meanwhile, Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has launched a scathing attack on LaLiga and its President Javier Tebas, criticising the decision to stage Barcelona's away match with Villarreal in Miami on December 20, saying it "distorts the competition”. The game, set to take place at the Hard Rock Stadium, would be the first La Liga fixture held outside Spain and the first European league match staged abroad. While European governing body UEFA reluctantly approved the plan, Real Madrid and other LaLiga teams' players have expressed their opposition, with Courtois leading the charge. Speaking at a press conference on the eve of Real’s Champions League clash with visiting Juventus, Courtois accused La Liga of bypassing clubs in the decision-making process and argued that the move undermines the principles of fairness in the home-and-away league format. "LaLiga does whatever it wants because it suits them,” Courtois said. "This decision distorts the competition. Playing at home is not the same as playing away. In LaLiga, playing away is very difficult, as we saw against Real Sociedad and Getafe. Villarreal away is tough. It’s not fair to change the rules mid-season without consulting us.” Courtois also contrasted La Liga’s plans with the NBA and NFL, who regularly play matches abroad. "The NBA has 82 games, and the NFL’s owners collectively approve these decisions. Here, La Liga acts unilaterally. It’s not the same,” he said. Over the weekend, La Liga players staged silent protests by standing motionless at kickoffs across all matches, symbolising their discontent. However, La Liga’s broadcasts ignored the protests in several games, showing a wide, aerial shot of the stadiums accompanied by a banner that read "Commitment to peace", which LaL iga has been using due to the war in Gaza, an attitude that prompted further criticism from Courtois. "Hiding the protests and trying to change the narrative is censorship and manipulation,” Courtois said. "I’m not surprised. (Tebas) behaves like no other sports executive I’ve ever seen. His actions on social media and in public speak volumes.” Real Madrid, who opposed the decision as early as August, have filed two complaints with Spain’s Sports Ministry, arguing that the move undermines the league’s competitive integrity. Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone also weighed in on the controversy, expressing his scepticism over the Miami fixture. "I won’t believe it until I see it,” he told reporters. "The home team loses the advantage. Their fans won’t be there, and they have to travel thousands of miles. We need to respect the fans.” La Liga has repeatedly defended its plan to stage matches abroad, stating that the proposal "does not distort competition or violate any rights of players, clubs or fans". However, with the match now scheduled for Miami, the stage is set for further tension between the league and its players.

Qatar football giants Al Sadd will be eyeing a win against Saudi side Al Hilal on Tuesday when the two powerful sides meet in an AFC Champions League Elite 2025/26 clash.Al Hilal will expect to stay on the winning ways when they face the Qatari side on Tuesday.Al Hilal, the four-time Asian champions, are the only side in the West Zone with a perfect record while Al Sadd opened their campaign with two draws.Al Hilal will take to the pitch with confidence as they are unbeaten in each of their last 13 home games in the AFC Champions League Elite - with the last 11 being wins.Victory Tuesday will mean the outright longest winning streak by any side at home in the competition, a record currently shared with Japan’s Yokohama F Marinos.Al Hilal, however, are winless in their last two meetings with Al Sadd but did beat the Qatari champions in the two matches prior to that.Al Sadd’s slow start to the season led to the departure of head coach Felix Sanchez, with the Spaniard’s compatriot Sergio Alegre taking charge on an interim basis. Alegre couldn’t have picked a tougher match to start his tenure but if Al Sadd do register a win, it could well spark a turnaround in their fortunes.Alegre, however, said during a press conference on Monday: “A tough and strong match awaits us against Al Hilal. We have prepared well for this match and I hope we will perform at our best. We fear nothing. We have a distinguished group of players, and our goal is to play a strong match and achieve a positive result.”Two-time AFC Asian Cup winning captain and an Al Sadd stalwart Hassan al-Haydos said on Monday: “We know Al Hilal’s strengths and weaknesses. We must give it our best. We must also give our complete focus during the match. After Qatar qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup (last week), our morale has improved, and I hope it will be reflected in the match against Al Hilal.”Al Hilal’s Italian coach, Simone Inzaghi, Monday emphasised the importance of winning Tuesday’s AFC Champions League match, adding that his team is at the top of their group and the goal is to ‘maintain that position’. Inzaghi on Monday admired the strength of the opposing team, saying: “We followed Al Sadd closely, as they performed admirably in two matches. We must prepare well for the match in order to maintain our top position.”Regarding the pressure of ACL matches, Inzaghi said that their focus is solely on Tuesday’s match, stressing that the team will face numerous matches in the coming period, and that all members of the squad are ‘ready for those matches’.Regarding Salem al-Dawsari’s injury, Inzaghi said al-Dawsari will not participate in the match due to the injury he sustained while playing for the national team.“He is an important player and we hope he returns to action as soon as possible. Everyone is monitoring the progress of his condition,” he said.

Hosts Al Wahda came back from going a goal behind to remain unbeaten in the AFC Champions League Elite 2025/26 as Jose Morais’ side notched up a 3-1 win over Qatar’s Al Duhail at Abu Dhabi's Al Nahyan Stadium on Monday.Kryzsztof Piatek had given the visitors a 20th minute lead but an Omar Khribin penalty 15 minutes later levelled the scores before Brahima Diarra put Al Wahda in front two minutes into stoppage time and Ala Zouhir hit a spectacular third in the 67th minute.The result moves Al Wahda onto seven points from their first three games while Al Duhail are still looking for their first win, with Djamel Belmadi’s side on one point.Al Wahda had impressed in the opening exchanges, only for Morais’ side to go behind.Dusan Tadic sliced his close-range effort wide of the Al Duhail goal in the 12th minute after being played in on goal by Zouhir as the home side made a positive start with the former Ajax Amsterdam playmaker to the fore.Zouhir unlocked the visiting defence again three minutes later when he muscled his way past the defence to clip in a cross from the right that the unmarked Caio Canedo slammed over the bar from 15 yards out.It was against the run of play, then, that Al Duhail took the lead as the halfway point in the half approached.Sultan Al Brake’s perfect pass from 35 yards out sliced through the Al Wahda defence to find Adil Boulbina as he scampered towards the byeline, the winger cutting the ball back first time to set up Piatek to push his shot over from inside the six yard box.Jean-Charles Castelletto’s pull on Khribin’s shirt saw referee Gulmurodi Sadullo point to the penalty spot and the Syria international showed no hesitation to slam his spot-kick beyond Arthur Desmas as dived the wrong way.Two minutes into time added on at the end of the half, Al Wahda went in front.Tadic’s clever flick over the defence found Diarra and, while his initial attempt was headed away by defender Youssef Ayman, the midfielder’s persistence ensured he netted at the second attempt from a tight angle after sidestepping Desmas’ dive.Al Wahda sealed the win in spectacular fashion midway through the second half, Tadic seeing his shot from 25 yards take a deflection off Cestelletto and Zouhir reacted, springing into the air to launch an unstoppable overhead strike beyond the helpless goalkeeper.

Liverpool slumped to a fourth consecutive defeat for the first time in 11 years as Manchester United won 2-1 Sunday to end their near decade-long wait for victory at Anfield.Harry Maguire’s 84th minute header secured back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time in Ruben Amorim’s tenure as United boss. Twelve minutes from time, Cody Gakpo had cancelled out Bryan Mbeumo’s opener after just 61 seconds.Defeat leaves Liverpool four points adrift of Arsenal at the top of the table and Arne Slot still searching for answers in how to get the right blend after splashing out nearly £450 million ($604 million) on new players in the transfer market.United close to within two points of their historic rivals and up to ninth in the table to ease the pressure on Amorim after his biggest win in nearly a year in charge.Liverpool had only lost one of the previous 14 Premier League meetings between the sides and United had not tasted victory at Anfield since the early days of Jurgen Klopp’s reign in January 2016.However, the Reds are in a state of flux after transforming the squad that stormed to the title last season and the tragic loss of Diogo Jota, who died in a car accident in July. After three consecutive defeats for the first time in Slot’s reign, Liverpool could barely have imagined a worse start.Mbeumo sped past Virgil van Dijk with ease before firing past Giorgi Mamardashvili from Amad Diallo’s pass after barely a minute.The home side and support were furious that play was not stopped in the build-up after Alexis MacAllister went down with a head injury, inflicted by his own captain Van Dijk.Slot left £100mn signing Florian Wirtz on the bench for the second consecutive game as he looked in vain to find the right balance between defence and attack.Gakpo should have levelled for the defending champions when he hit the post from Mohamed Salah’s through ball in Liverpool’s one flowing move of the first half.However, it was United who should have been further in front by half-time.Bruno Fernandes spurned a glorious chance to double the Red Devils’ lead when he hit the outside of the post when unmarked from the edge of the area.At the other end, Senne Lammens was rarely troubled in the first 45 minutes, but produced a big save when called upon to deny Alexander Isak his first Premier League goal since joining Liverpool for a British transfer record £125mn. A Gakpo deflected cross then came back off the post and the Dutchman rattled the woodwork for a third time early in the second half.Slot turned to his near £200 million in forward options off the bench as Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike were introduced on the hour mark to join Salah, Gakpo and Isak in a five-man attack.Salah has scored more goals than any other player in this fixture, but his lack of form showed in a wild finish to slice wide with just Lammens to beat at the back post. Liverpool’s wealth of attacking talent finally broke the door down when Federico Chiesa, who had replaced Isak moments earlier, drilled in a low cross that Gakpo converted from point blank range.Yet, their defensive frailties meant parity only lasted six minutes as Maguire was left unmarked to head in Fernandes’s looping cross. Gakpo should still have rescued a point when he headed wide with the goal gaping from Jeremie Frimpong’s inviting delivery.Rogers and Buendia inspire Aston VillaMorgan Rogers and Emiliano Buendia inspired Aston Villa’s fightback to win 2-1 against Tottenham Sunday as the north Londoners suffered more misery on home turf. Rodrigo Bentancur put Thomas Frank’s side ahead early in the first half at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.But Rogers equalised with a superb strike before the interval and Buendia came off the bench to seal the points in the closing stages.Tottenham’s woeful home form in the Premier League – 11 defeats and just three wins in 18 league games – has proved a major issue for Frank since he replaced the sacked Ange Postecoglou in the close-season.While the majority of those home losses came under Postecoglou last term, Frank’s short tenure has produced mixed results at the club’s 62,000-seat stadium, with boos audible after a defeat to Bournemouth in August and a 1-1 draw with lowly Wolves last month.The end of Tottenham’s seven-game unbeaten run in all competitions left them in sixth place after the second defeat in Frank’s eight league games.

Al Duhail will face UAE’s Al Wahda at the Al Nahyan Stadium for their AFC Champions League Elite 2025-26 match at the at the Al Nahyan Stadium Monday.Al Wahda will target maximum points when they welcome Al Duhail to the Al Nahyan Stadium for their AFC Champions League Elite tie at the Al Nahyan Stadium Monday.The UAE side sit fourth in the standings with four points, while Qatar’s Al Duhail are three adrift in ninth place.Al Wahda, however, will tread carefully as their head-to-head record isn’t in their favour, having lost both previous encounters against the Qatari side.They will draw confidence from their good start to the season – domestically as well as on the continental stage – in their bid to walk away with the points.Leading their charge will be Omar Khribin, who led Syria to AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 qualification this past week.Al Duhail, who held defending champions Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli to a 2-2 draw three weeks ago, need to get on the winning trail if knockout stage qualification is to be achieved.“We are ready to play the match, and we look forward to achieving our first victory in the continental competition,” Al Duhail coach Djamel Belmadi said.“Although we have only earned one point from two matches, I do not consider them negative results, especially since we played against Al Hilal and Al Ahli of Saudi Arabia, and I believe that the confrontation with Al Wahda will also be strong, during which we will try to play with extreme focus.”That will require defensive resolve, with four goals having already been conceded but they are struggling for form – sitting sixth in the Qatar Stars League.They did come within a whisker of defeating Al Ahli and if they can reproduce that form, they may well extend their winning streak against Al Wahda.Al Gharafa vs Al Ahli Al Ahli of Saudi Arabia will be aiming to return to winning ways when they entertain Al Gharafa in the AFC Champions League Elite at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium Monday.The defending champions were held to a 2-2 draw by Qatar’s Al Duhail SC on Matchday Two, which halted the Saudi Arabian side’s winning run at eight.The draw, however, meant that Al Ahli joined Saudi Pro League rivals Al Hilal SFC and Ulsan HD of South Republic on a 20-match unbeaten run in the continental showpiece and they will be determined to claim the record for themselves Monday.The head-to-head with Al Gharafa is very much in Al Ahli’s favour as they are unbeaten in their last five meetings – winning two and drawing three.They will expect to score, having already netted six goals, but their defence has been porous with four conceded in their earlier two matches and Al Ahli will be focused on staying tight at the back.Al Gharafa will not be fazed by the prospect of playing Al Ahli away, especially after defeating Iraq’s Al Shorta 2-0 on Matchday Two.Al Gharafa’s coach Pedro Martins while addressing the media on eve of the match, said, “A tough match awaits us against the title holder, and we will play in our style with the aim of achieving victory.”Joselu will be counted on to deliver the goals, with the Spanish forward leading the continental charts with three and if he scores Monday, he will become the first Al Gharafa player to score in three consecutive games to start a season since at least 2013.The Qatari side, however, have lost their last three away games on the continent.

Al Sadd have parted ways with head coach Felix Sanchez, with assistant coach Sergio Alegre stepping in as interim coach, the reigning Qatar Stars League (QSL) champions announced Wednesday.“Al Sadd Club’s management and head coach Felix Sanchez have mutually agreed to terminate the contract between the two parties. Assistant coach Sergio Alegre will assume responsibility for training the team until a new coaching staff is appointed,” the club posted on its official X handle.Sanchez, 49, took charge of Al Sadd in July 2024, following a celebrated spell with the Qatar national team, where he oversaw their historic AFC Asian Cup title win in 2019 and led the side in their first-ever FIFA World Cup appearance on home soil in 2022. The Spaniard’s appointment was seen as a strategic move aimed at restoring Al Sadd’s domestic dominance and rekindling their continental competitiveness.However, the team have struggled for form this season, currently sitting seventh in both the QSL standings and their AFC Champions League Elite group, falling short of the club’s high expectations. Alegre, who worked closely with Sanchez during his tenure with both Qatar’s youth and senior national teams, will now take charge of preparations for Al Sadd’s upcoming AFC Champions League Elite clash against Al Hilal in Riyadh on Tuesday.Al Arabi appoint Contra as new head coachAl Arabi have announced the appointment of Romanian coach Cosmin Contra as head coach for the remainder of the season. The club confirmed the move on its official X account, stating that Contra will lead a Romanian coaching staff, though details of the contract were not disclosed.Contra replaces Pablo Amo, who parted ways with the club after a disappointing start to the Qatar Stars League campaign. Al Arabi have collected only four points from their opening six matches and currently sit 11th in the standings.A former Romanian international, the 50-year-old Contra enjoyed a distinguished playing career with European giants AC Milan and Atletico Madrid before moving into management. His coaching resume includes stints with Al Ittihad (Saudi Arabia) and Dinamo Bucharest (Romania), among others.Al Arabi will hope the experienced tactician can spark a turnaround as the team seeks to climb out of the relegation zone and rediscover its form in the league.

Doha Falcons claimed the runners-up place in the Global Champions League (GCL) of Rome as the Cannes Stars powered by Iron Dames delivered the only four flawless rounds to claim victory and draw level on points with championship leaders Valkenswaard United.With just two stages left in the 2025 season, both Cannes Stars and Valkenswaard on 277 points, but the latter retain lead given their more number of wins this year.At the Circus Maximus arena, it was the Cannes Stars powered by Iron Dames duo of Sophie Hinners with Iron Dames Combella and Katrin Eckermann aboard Chao Lee & Iron Dames Dialou Blue PS who were simply untouchable across both rounds. The pair produced immaculate clear rounds, combining precision and power to secure a commanding win on 0 faults and an overall time of 151.17 seconds.Eckermann praised the team’s cohesion: “It’s always special to win with this team - we trust each other completely, and the horses were in fantastic form today. Rome is one of the most beautiful shows on the circuit, and this win means everything for our championship fight.”It was a high-intensity showdown from start to finish. Doha Falcons played a great strategy not making a horse or rider change between rounds and impressed with consistency from Sheikh Ali Al Khalid al-Thani and Com’on Stanley alongside Bassem Mohammed with Rocket Man, securing second place on a total of 4 faults after two gritty rounds.Sheikh Ali said, “I am really happy with my team and my horse who jumped amazing today. This results is really amazing and to help the team rise a bit in the rankings so we are so happy.”Teammate Bassem explained: “We always try to stick to our plan and jump clear rounds in these team competitions. I am really happy to have my old team member back in the game and I couldn’t be more happy to have this result today standing beside him.”The Paris Panthers completed the podium with a combined total of 6 faults, led by Guido Grimaldi aboard Gentleman and Clara Pezzoli with Fantasia de Beaufour & Hadewyn van't Ravennest to secure their first-ever podium of the season.