facebooktwittertelegramwhatsapp
copy short urlprintemail
+ A
A -
webmaster

Ayeni Olusegun
Doha
Al Sadd coach Jesualdo Ferreira has called this season as the 'best for me in Al Sadd', ahead of the biggest football rivalry in Qatar -- the 'Clasico'.
In the last six meetings between Al Sadd and Al Rayyan, both teams have won three each with the Wolves winning the most recent clash in April on penalties after 2-2 draw in regulation time.
However, Al Sadd are enjoying a spectacular run both at home and in Asia after blowing past Esteghlal to make the AFC Champions League semis.
"This season is the best for me with Al Sadd for many reasons, including the harmony between the players and the new players who joined us. We have been winning at the domestic level and also in the AFC Champions League," Ferreira said.
"I hope none of our players get injured due to fatigue. Our players are overworked due to international commitments and the number of games we have played. We are careful about fielding the team in good shape for the Qatar Clasico without more injuries."
Al Rayyan on the other hand has enjoyed a relatively stable start to the season after a tumultuous two years with Dane Michael Laudrup.
Rodolfo Arruabarrena began his tenure with a win over Al Duhail in the season opener Sheikh Jassim Cup. The Lions have since gone on a good run of results and are yet to lose a match and a win could see them move atop the league table.
"We are going to play an important game. We will face one of the best teams in the QNB Stars League, which is a strong competition in Asia. We respect Al Sadd, but we will play the game in our style. We hope to succeed.
"I also hope the game will be played in a good atmosphere, true to the sprit of Qatar Clasico, and fans will enjoy the action when both teams will fight it out on the field," Arruabarrena said of his first Qatar Clasico weekend.
Al Sadd has seen a goal rush since the start of the season with Baghdad Bounedjah leading the league's top scorer's chart with 11 goals, while Akram Afif has six. Al Rayyan's highest goal scorers so far are Rodrigo Tabata and injured defender Gonzalo Vieira both have two goals.
But Arruabarrena insists he is not worried but understands the threat posed by their rivals.
"I do not have anything to worry about before the game, but I know we're also going to face one of the best teams in Asia. We know their strengths and weaknesses, but we will primarily focus on our ability," the Argentine said.
The Wolves will be without Hassan al Haydos who picked up a knock in his 100th appearance for the national team. Al Rayyan will miss the presence reliable defender Vieira and new Brazilian striker Luca due to injuries.
Al Duhail will host Al Gharafa in the evening kickoff, still reeling from their exit in the AFC Champions League.
Al Duhail are undergoing changes in their style after Djamel Belmadi's exit. The fluency with which they played for majority of last season seems lost as Tunisian Nabil Maaloul is still yet to have the team play according to his plans.
Meanwhile Al Gharafa suffered a disappointing loss last weekend to Umm Salal and will be without influential captain Wesley Sneijder for at least a month.
The former Dutch star is recovering from a muscle injury he likely picked up last weekend.
Al Duhail have dominated the Stars League in the last two seasons, lifting the Falcon Shield last year with an unbeaten record. Failure will be Maaloul's inability to take the team to another title celebration.
copy short url   Copy
22/09/2018
289