Al Sadd face Al Duhail in a postponed match from Week 10 of the 2022-2023 season QNB Stars League at the Al Sadd Stadium on Sunday.
Al Sadd and Al Duhail are direct competitors and strong challengers for the title and they both have the wherewithal to win on any day and in any situation.
So an open match is a foregone conclusion. The presence of prominent players, foreign or Qatari professionals, makes it more exciting a contest.
Reigning champions Al Sadd are in third place with 28 points from 15 matches (nine victories, one draw and five defeats). The Wolves have a goal difference of +11 (29 goals for and 18 against).
Al Duhail are leading the standings with 35 points from 14 matches (11 victories, two draws and one defeat). The Red Knights have a goal difference of +19 (30 goals for and 11 against).
Al Duhail played one match less as their Week 15 fixture against Al Rayyan was postponed due to both teams’ Round of 16 encounter in the AFC Champions League 2022.
Al Sadd, coached by Juan Manuel Lillo (Juanma), boast of the likes of Pedro Miguel and Tareq Salman in defence, Brazilian Guillerme Torres and South Korean Jung Woo-Young in midfield and Santi Cazorla, Akram Afif and Baghdad Bounedjah in attack. Rodrigo Tabata and Mohammed Waad may be absent due to injury.
Al Duhail, under Argentinian coach Hernan Crespo, have players such as Michael Olunga, Almoez Ali, Bassam Al Rawi, Ismail Mohammed and Nam Tae-Hee.
Al Sadd had beaten Al Sailiya 4-0 and Al Duhail defeated Al Arabi 3-1 in the last round of QNB Stars League (Week 8 postponed match).
Al Sadd defeated Al Markhiya 4-0 and Al Duhail beat Al Kharaitiyat 1-0 in the Round of 16 of Amir Cup to reach the quarterfinals.
Meanwhile, Al Gharafa face Al Arabi in a postponed match from Week 10 of the 2022-2023 season QNB Stars League at the Al Gharafa Stadium on Monday.
Both teams had dropped points in the last round (Week 16), Al Arabi losing 1-3 to Al Duhail and Al Gharafa drawing 1-1 with Al Ahli.
Al Gharafa and Al Arabi will strive to be back on the winning path and look for full points.
Al Gharafa are fifth in the standings with 23 points, on goal difference from Al Wakrah (fourth) and Qatar SC (sixth) as all three teams have the same number of points.
On the other hand, Al Arabi, who recently recorded a 3-0 win over Al Shamal in the Round of 16 of Amir Cup and qualified for the quarterfinals, occupy the second place in the league table with 31 points, four points behind Al Duhail and three points ahead of reigning champions and third-placed Al Sadd.
Therefore, the match is important for Al Arabi to continue to be title contenders.
Both sides have a number of players capable of making a difference.
Al Gharafa, under Portuguese coach Pedro Martins, have the likes of Homam Al Ameen, Ahmed Alaaeldin, Mehdi Tahrat, Ishak Belfodil, Moayad Hassan, Farid Boulaya and Yacine Brahimi.
On the other hand, Al Arabi may get back the services of Yousef Msakni who missed their last match against Al Duhail due to suspension and that will strengthen them especially in the absence of Syrian striker Omar Al Somah, who was sent off in the game against Al Duhail.
Coach Younes Ali will definitely be looking to compensate for Al Somah’s absence.
Al Rayyan face Al Wakrah in a postponed match from Week 10 of the 2022-2023 season QNB Stars League at the Al Sadd Stadium on Sunday, March 12, 2023. Both teams aim victory and the three points especially after their recent exit from the Round of 16 of Amir Cup, where Al Rayyan lost 1-2 to Al Sailiya and Al Wakrah lost 1-3 to Al Shahania on penalties (1-1 after regular time).
In the last round of QNB Stars League (Week 16), Al Wakrah had defeated Al Markhiya 4-0, while Al Rayyan draw 1-1 with Umm Salal. Al Rayyan are placed 10th in the table with 12 points from 14 matches (three victories, as many draws and eight defeats). The Lions have a goal difference of -3 (16 goals for and 19 against).
Al Wakrah are ranked fourth with 23 points from 15 matches, on goal difference from Al Gharafa and Qatar SC, who too have the same number of points. Moreover, Al Shamal face Umm Salal in a postponed match from Week 10 of the 2022-2023 season QNB Stars League at the Al Gharafa Stadium on Monday.
The match is very important for the teams, given their position in the standings and the need for the three points to improve their rankings. Al Shamal are ninth with 14 points, having won four matches, lost eight and drawn two.
They have scored 14 goals and conceded 21 times during their 14 matches in the league so far, one less than Umm Salal. On the other hand, Umm Salal occupy the 11th place with 10 points, from a single victory, losing in seven games and drawing as many matches. They have scored 11 goals and conceded 25 times.
Meanwhile, Al Ahli face Qatar SC in a postponed match from Week 10 of the 2022-2023 season QNB Stars League at the Al Ahli Stadium on Monday. Both teams aspire to overtake the other, given the slender points difference between them.
Al Ahli are currently seventh in the standings with 21 points, and the team have had some good results in the last two weeks (they beat Al Sadd 2-1 and tied against Al Gharafa 1-1). On the other hand, Qatar SC are sixth with 23 points, on goal difference from the fourth and fifth-placed Al Wakrah and Al Gharafah respectively.
Qatar SC will be eager to bounce back after having lost their last two matches against Al Sadd and Al Shamal. Also, Al Sailiya face Al Markhiya in a postponed match from Week 10 of the 2022-2023 season QNB Stars League at the Al Arabi Stadium on Sunday, March 12, 2023.
Al Sailiya seek win in order to move away from the last place, while Al Markhiya are looking to improve their position in the table. Both Al Sailiya and Al Markhiya lost in the last round (Week 16) to Al Sadd and Al Wakrah respectively by an identical 0-4 margin.
Al Sailiya have nine points from 15 matches (two victories, three draws and 10 defeats), whereas Al Markhiya are placed eighth with 15 points from 14 matches (four wins, three draws and seven defeats).
Source: Qatar News Agency