Al Duhail’s Moaaz Abdulla (second right) and Al Arabi’s Khalifa Ibrahim Al Khalfan (second left) vie for the ball possession during their QNB Stars League match played at Al Duhail Stadium, in this September 16, 2017 file photo. Al Duhail face Al Rayyan t
A thrilling battle is on the cards today when clinical Al Rayyan square off with an aggressive Al Duhail, with both the unbeaten sides looking to impose their supremacy in the QNB Stars League (QSL) title race at Al Sadd Stadium.
Michael Laudrup’s side has shown no signs of difficulties in winning their first two matches following an all-round display.
On the other hand, Djamel Belmadi’s Al Duhail, which comprises mainly of players from former club Lekhwiya, have also stamped their authority with an aggressive display of football in the first two rounds.
Laudrup admits that today’s match will be the biggest challenge in the new season for his side that has defeated Al Kharaitiyat and Al Khor in their first two matches.
“Myself and Sebastian (Soria) know the side well, and they have played together for four years now,” Laudrup, the former Danish maestro, told a pre-match press conference yesterday.
“They know each other well, they have players like Nam Tae Hee, Ismael Mohammed and Yusef Msakni who have been together for a long time, and that is a big advantage for Duhail heading into this match,” he added.
“Duhail are a very attacking team, and I think they will have Ismael and Afif in defence for this match. They have a good balance in midfield in Nam, Karim Boudiaf and Luis Martin and this will be important in breaking down,” he said.
Al Rayyan ace Sebastian Soria predicted a thriller, hoping to overcome the tough opposition.
“Mouhcine Moutouali and Hamdallah have started well with us and along with myself and Tabata we can cause any team trouble in the league. I am looking forward to an exciting match,” he said.
The Red Knights, however, are also blooming with confidence ahead of the crunch tie.
“Our midfield is one of our strengths and I believe that the battle will be in midfield,” Belmadi said before urging his players to excel in all areas.
“If we win this battle we can control the game. Al Rayyan have a strong attack also. We need to be strong in all areas of the pitch. It will be a interesting game, with two teams with a strong attacking philosophy and I hope it’s a good game to watch.”
Belmadi remained coy when asked about his sides defensive selection ahead of the game.
“You have to deal with the threat of a good attacking side. We believe in what we do and we will be looking to impose ourselves on the team,” Belmadi said.
Al Sadd look to maintain winning run
Meanwhile, Xavi’s Al Sadd are also eyeing full points as they take on Al Gharafa in their third round match at Al Sadd Stadium today.
Wolves coach Jesualdo Ferriera said he expects a tough fight from former champions Al Gharafa.
“I think that conceding two goals is not a problems. It is important that we achieve a balance between the defensive and attack. Last year we did well with this, but this season we have had many changes and it’s not easy to get this coordination. We need to work on this over the season, and we need time,” Ferreira said.
“It will be a great match because of the air conditioning, we will not suffering with the heat. I am expecting an interesting match. I don’t know what to expect from Al Gharafa because they did not have their professionals for the first match. They will be eager to get a result against us Bagdad Bounjah will not play in this game as he is injured,” he informed.
