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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.

Two of Qatar’s football giants will collide when Al Sadd host Al Duhail in the Qatar Stars League at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium Thursday. The clash, which kicks off at 8pm, promises to be one of the early season highlights, pitting two sides that have dominated the domestic scene over the past decade.Both teams enter the fixture level on seven points, separated only by goal difference. Al Duhail sit sixth with two wins, two losses and a draw, while Al Sadd are just behind in seventh after recording the same results but with fewer goals scored. With the season still in its early stages, neither side can afford to lose ground in the title race, making the encounter one with potentially significant repercussions.While the league table shows little between them, recent form tells a different story. Duhail arrive brimming with confidence after back-to-back victories, including a 4-2 win over Umm Salal and a statement 8-1 demolition of Al Arabi. These results have re-energised Djamel Belmadi’s side after a patchy start, sending a message to rivals that Duhail remain serious contenders. Al Sadd, by contrast, have stumbled in their last two outings, losing to Al Shahania before being held to a draw by Al Wakrah. Felix Sanchez’s men have shown flashes of their attacking quality but have struggled to convert dominance into victories.Sanchez on Wednesday emphasised the need for his players to stay composed under pressure. “We have a very competitive match. We finished last season as the top two teams in the league, so we expect it to be a tough match,” he said. “Unfortunately, we were not able to score many points in the last two matches, so we will try to bounce back. We know the situation is not easy, but the players are accustomed to dealing with the pressure of competition and we must achieve the desired results.”Al Sadd’s veteran defender Boualem Khoukhi underlined the importance of the contest, describing it as “worth six points.”He said: “Every player will give 100 per cent to win. I know how sad our fans are with the team’s current results and we will do everything in our capacity to make them happy. The match will be at our home stadium and the presence of fans will provide us with great motivation, especially before our match against Sharjah of the UAE in the AFC Champions League Elite.”Duhail coach Belmadi, on the other hand, was quick to highlight the historical weight of the rivalry. “The match against Al Sadd is always a top-of-the-range affair, regardless of the circumstances and results of the two teams,” he said. “If we look back over the past 15 years, we will find that the competition has always been confined to the two teams, and this confirms to everyone the value of this match. It will be a very significant encounter.”The Algerian added: “Each match has its own unique nature and the accompanying events vary from one match to the next. We achieved a big win against Al Arabi in our last match, while Al Sadd settled for a draw in the same round. This does not mean much and does not reflect the outcome of the next match. The match against Al Sadd always has its own unique characteristics, and we will try to put in a strong performance against a strong competitor. We will strive to advance in the league competition, given our slight drop in the standings.”Duhail defender Sultan al-Breik echoed his coach’s sentiments: “We will try to maintain the team’s upward trend after we managed to secure six points from two consecutive victories. We will strive to achieve the match objective, which is to win with the three points.”Over the past decade, meetings between Al Sadd and Al Duhail have rarely disappointed. From title-deciding encounters to dramatic goal-fests, the rivalry has consistently delivered drama and intensity. Thursday's fixture carries all the hallmarks of another classic: two teams evenly matched on points, both with something to prove.Rayyan face GharafaIn the other match Thursday, Al Rayyan will host Al Gharafa at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium. Both teams are currently tied on 10 points, having won three matches, drawn one and lost one. Al Rayyan hold the advantage in goal difference and occupy the third position. Al Gharafa come into the match after a 0-0 draw against leaders Al Shamal. On the other hand, Al Rayyan secured a convincing 3-0 win over Al Ahli.

Defending champions Al Sadd’s unbeaten run continued but they were held to a 2-2 draw by Al Wakrah while Al Duhail thrashed Al Arabi 8-1 in the Qatar Stars League Saturday. Meanwhile, Al Shamal stayed top of the table even as their perfect start ended in a goalless stalemate with Al Gharafa.Redounae Berkane’s brace rescued a point for fourth-placed Al Wakrah against Al Sadd at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium. Sadd are in sixth place.Akram Afif opened the scoring for Al Sadd in the 18th minute with a sensational curling right-footed shot from the left side of the box after Al Wakrah's defence failed to properly clear a loose ball.With a goal up, Al Sadd were in cruise control from thereon until Ahmed Suhail appeared to have conceded a penalty in the 34th minute following what seemed to be a foul on Al Wakrah’s Hamdy Fathy in the penalty area. The initial call was, however, rescinded after a VAR check.Four minutes later, Al Sadd extended their advantage as Giovani Henrique found the back of the net after seizing the ball from Al Wakrah’s Lucas Mendes and executing a left-footed shot from the center of the box.Al Wakrah had a chance to reduce the deficit in the 55th minute when Lucas Verissimo was brought down by Al Sadd’s Pau Prim in the penalty area. Nevertheless, the resulting penalty was missed by Berkane.Berkane, however, atoned for his miss two minutes later as he latched on to a rebound from Aissa Laidouni to cut the deficit for The Blue Wave with a beautiful scissors kick from the centre of the box.The Algerian striker stunned The Wolves with his brace, deep in the penalty area, in the 73rd minute as Al Wakrah drew level with their hosts to ensure the tie ended a point apiece.Al Duhail moved to fifth in the table as they thrashed Al Arabi 8-1 at the Al Thumama Stadium. Goals for Al Duhail came from Krzysztof Piatek (third minute), Al Hashmi Al Hussain (26th minute own goal), Sultan Al Brake (34th minute), Luis Alberto (38th & 60th minutes), Adil Boulbina (51st and 68th minute penalty) and Benjamin Bourigeaud (78th minute penalty). Al Arabi’s only goal was scored by Pablo Sarabia (23rd minute).Al Arabi made matters worse for themselves when Keddari committed a foul in the 66th minute to be shown the red card after a second yellow. The Red Knights opened scoring with a fabulous header from Piatek off an Al Brake cross. Sarabia equalized for Al Arabi, striking on a second attempt against defenders.Al Hussain’s header while defending conceded an own goal as Al Duhail regained lead at 2-1 and just did not stop from there on. Al Brake struck a long ranger for the spectacular third goal.Boulbina also showed presence of mind as he flicked one over the goalkeeper for his team’s fifth goal.Al Duhail’s Piatek missed a penalty strike in the ninth minute shooting wide left of the target and later he struck the top left post in the 41st minute.At the Khalifa International Stadium, Al Shamal and Al Gharafa played a goalless draw. The captivating match puts an end to Al Shamal's impeccable 100 per cent win rate, having lost points for the first time in the season. They hold a three-point advantage over Qatars SC, who are in action Sunday.The encounter featured numerous missed opportunities in the first half, prominent was Al Shamal’s Baghdad Bounedjah’s obvious sitter, which he disappointingly directed at the goalkeeper, followed by a rebound that he headed against the post in the 37th minute, much to the dismay of the entire stadium.The latter half closely resembled the initial one, as both teams had chances to overturn the stalemate but failed to capitalise on them.With the match seemingly winding down, Al Gharafa’s Ferjani Sassi missed the last obvious chance of the day after his header from the centre of the box, following an assist by Yacine Brahimi in one minute of added time, went just inches wide to the left.

Al Shahania stunned defending champions Al Sadd 1-0 to secure their first win in the Qatar Stars League at the Al Bayt Stadium Friday.Shahania’s successful strike came in the 23rd minute, with Pelle van Amersfoort scoring intelligently after being in a one-on-one situation with Al Sadd’s Pedro Miguel in front of the goal. The Dutch player chose to lob the ball which went on to hit the top right post before going into the net.A sizzling second half had Al Sadd launching several robust attacks but in vain including a 56th minute Pau Prim powerful strike from outside the box which hit the crossbar.Goalkeeper Shehab Ellethy excelled under the bar for Al Shahania. Among his many saves was a standout in the 28nd minute when he leapt high to punch away a strong Youcef Atal shot.The result took Shahania’s tally to four points while displaying their strong defence which foiled many Al Sadd attempts to equalise, especially in the second half. Al Sadd suffered a second loss in the league and their tally remained on six points.Piatek hat-trick powers Duhail to victoryPolish striker Krzysztof Piatek scored a hat-trick as Al Duhail notched their first win, prevailing 4-2 over Umm Salal at the Khalifa International Stadium.Umm Salal led 2-1 at half-time, but Al Duhail hit back with three goals in the second session. The result took Al Duhail to four points, while Umm Salal’s tally remained on three.The fast-paced game saw its first big thrill in the 27th minute with Umm Salal’s Oussama Tannane essaying a brilliant free kick from 10 yards outside the box and which swung left and dipped into the net.Al Duhail hit back three minutes later with Luis Alberto slotting in a cross from Adil Boulbina. Umm Salal struck back (34th minute) with Cristo Perez striking on a second attempt after Tannane provided the cross after initiating a quick move off a throw in.Piatek scored in the 61st minute as he chested a Marco Verratti pass before putting the ball into the goal. Minutes later, Umm Salal’s Kouassi fouled Mobarak Shanan inside the box incurring a penalty. Piatek scored from the spot (65th minute).In the added time (90+9 minute), Mobarak was felled by Umm Salal’s Nasser Al Ahrak and a penalty was given following VAR check. Piatek stepped up and scored completing his hat-trick.Brahimi stars as Gharafa beat SailiyaAl Gharafa defeated Al Sailiya 2-0 at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium. The win took The Cheetahs’ tally to nine points, while Al Sailiya are yet to open their account.Al Gharafa’s Algerian star Yacine Brahimi was instrumental in both of his team’s goals, while Tunisian Ferjani Sassi scored one and assisted Brahimi in the other.The first half ended goalless, but Al Gharafa struck soon in the second (53rd minute), with Sassi making a fine header to a swinging corner kick of Brahimi from the right.Brahimi himself fetched the second goal in stoppage time (90+2 minute) as he weaved past defenders to strike from about five yards outside the box and past a diving goalkeeper into the left corner. Brahimi was named player of the match.