Al Sadd players train under the supervision of coach Xavi.
Two of the most dominant forces in Qatar’s domestic football scene, Al Sadd and Al Duhail face off in a crunch tie in Round 9 of the QNB Stars League today.
At the Al Duhail Stadium, the traditional rivals will be keen to impress as they look to remain on course for winning the prestigious Falcon Shield. The match will kick off at 7.25pm.
Al Duhail, coached by Portuguese Rui Faria, can reach the top of the standings today if they win, but Xavi-coached defending champions will try everything in their book to spoil the Portuguese tactician’s hopes and end their unbeaten run.
Prior to today’s blockbuster meeting, the two sides have met three times so far this season.
Al Sadd got the better of Al Duhail in the season-opening Sheikh Jassim Cup final as Xavi earned his maiden title as a coach.
Then, in the AFC Champions League Round of 16, Al Sadd beat Al Duhail 4-2 on aggregate.
However, Al Duhail will be looking forward to repeat their performance of last season’s Amir Cup final, where they prevailed over Al Sadd.
During a pre-match press conference held yesterday, Xavi said he is aware of the threat that Al Duhail are posing.
“We must be ready for this tough confrontation because we know very well the strengths of Al Duhail, individually and collectively. We know they will miss some important players like Asim Madibo and Luis Martin, but that does not mean that Al Duhail are a weak team and they do not depend on one player,” Xavi said.
“I ask our fans to support us and encourage us because their presence at the stadium will be a big motivation for the players,” Xavi called upon Al Sadd fans to support the team during their ‘away’ game.
Xavi also said that his men suffered a heartbreaking semi-final exit from the Asian Champions League, after being knocked out by Al Hilal on an aggregate, despite winning a thrilling second leg match in Riyadh, have moved on and they have shifted their focus towards upcoming encounters.
“There is no doubt that everyone hoped to see Al Sadd in the final of AFC Champions League, but now our focus is on the League and then the Club World Cup. It is an important tournament for the nation as a whole. We want to leave a good impression with our results,” Xavi said.
His counterpart, Faria yesterday emphasised that their only hope it to secure full points against Al Sadd.
“We are ready to face Al Sadd. Everyone is waiting for this clash which, we hope, will be a highly-enjoyable game. Certainly, it will be difficult for Al Duhail and Al Sadd. We are facing very strong opponents who have a large number of players of the Qatar senior national team.
“There is no doubt that Al Duhail are a special team with outstanding players. Our target is to get three points.
“Al Duhail are playing every match with one target - victory. This game assumes greater significance as Al Sadd are our direct opponents for the title,” Faris said.
Al Duhail were occupying the top spot in the QSL standings until Friday, before Al Rayyan climbed up following a 2-0 win against Al Sailiya.
Al Rayyan are on top with 21 points, one point clear of Al Duhail. However, Al Sadd, who have played two matches less than the rest, are posing a huge threat to the table toppers, making it a three-way battle for the title.
Al Sadd have 15 points from six matches. Their fixtures against Al Arabi (Week 5) and Al Khor (Week 7) were deferred due to The Wolves’ AFC Champions League commitments.
