Tribune News Network
Doha
Al Sadd will take on Al Shahania in Week 7 match of the Ooredoo Stars League at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium on Friday. The kick-off is at 7.30pm.
The match-up between the two teams is expected to be exciting despite the fact that it brings together defending champions Al Sadd and Al Shahania, who were promoted from the Second Division. Both teams would be eager for a win to gain the valuable three points.
Al Sadd seek to continue their winning run in order to compete strongly and defend the title, while Al Shahania are aiming to make their presence felt in the senior league by improving their position in the standings.
Al Sadd are presently in fifth place in the rankings table with nine points from three wins and as many losses. The Wolves succeeded in winning their last-round match against Al Gharafa 4-2.
On the other hand, Al Shahania are placed 10th with five points from one win, two draws and three losses. They have notched a solitary win so far but a worthy one against Al Duhail, whom they beat 2-1 in the previous round.
On the sidelines, the contest between coaches Felix Sanchez of Al Sadd (who seeks to confirm his team’s superiority by getting closer to the top) and Alvaro Mejia of Al Shahania (who hopes to improve his team’s position) would be stiff. Especially, since the upcoming games will see no team want to give away any points.
Al Sadd have many top stars in the mix, most notably Akram Afif, Rafa Mujica, Boualem Khoukhi among others, while Pedro Miguel is absent from the team after undergoing a surgery for a hamstring muscle which may keep him out for three months.
Al Shahania will mostly rely on their Dutch striker Pelle van Amersfoort, who scored two goals against Al Duhail, Lotfi Majder, Alhassan Koroma, goalkeeper Shehab Ellethy and others.
In the other games on Thursday, Al Khor will play Al Rayyan at Al Khor Stadium (5.30pm) while Al Gharafa will meet Umm Salal at the Thani Bin Jassim Stadium at 7.30pm.
Al Ahli to meet Al Duhail
On Saturday, Al Ahli will have a strong match against Al Duhail in Week 7 of the Ooredoo Stars League at the Al Thumama Stadium at 7.30pm.
Al Duhail lead the table with 15 points, having achieved five victories and suffered only one defeat in the previous round against Al Shahania.
In contrast, Al Ahli are in second place with 14 points, having secured four wins and two draws, making them the only team yet to experience a loss in this competition.
Under the guidance of coach Igor Biscan, recognized as the best in the Ooredoo Stars League for August and September, 2024, Al Ahli have demonstrated commendable performance in prior matches. This has allowed them to reach an optimal physical and technical state, positioning them strongly in the standings and enabling them to compete vigorously with Al Duhail for the lead.
Biscan’s strategy incorporates several key players, including German star Julian Draxler, named the best player in Ooredoo Stars League for September, 2024, alongside Driss Fettouhi, Oumar Sekou, Jassem Omar, Abdulrahman Mustafa, goalkeeper Marwan Sherif, Idrissa Doumbia and others.
Al Duhail, under the tutelage of Christophe Galtier, aim to capitalize on the lessons learnt from their loss in the sixth week and rectify the team’s errors to return to winning form.
Galtier’s tactics hinge on the contributions of the team’s leading scorer Michael Olunga along with standout players such as Edmilson Junior, Almoez Ali, Bassam Al Rawi, goalkeeper Salah Zakaria and others.
The other two Saturday matches will see Al Shamal take on Al Arabi at the Al Khor Stadium at 5.30pm, and Qatar SC will play Al Wakrah at the Suhaim Bin Hamad Stadium at 7.30pm.
