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Tribune News Network
DOHA
Champions Al Rayyan take on arch-rivals Al Sadd in the Qatar Clasico, which forms the tenth round of the QSl. The big game will be played at the Al Sadd Stadium on Wednesday evening.
Al Rayyan suffered their first defeat of the season and slipped to fifth in the table against Al Gharafa in the ninth round. The Lions will be looking to pounce on Al Sadd in the biggest match of the season for both teams.
Michael Laudrup, the head coach of Al Rayyan, knows the importance of this game."It's a different game, it's the Clasico and all over the world there are matches like this. Everybody wants to see this game and both sides want to get the three points. It will be a game in which small things will decide who wins because both teams are on a good level."
Speaking about the match fitness of Victor Caceres, Laudrup added,"He was a very important player for us. Right now he is injured and recovering. We are sorry for him but this is part of football. He is now back in training and we hope he can join us later in the season. When he comes back we need to give him time to get him back to his best. But I think he will be back to his best before AFC Champions League starts in February."
"We are expecting a reaction from our team after the defeat. The players really want to win this game as last season we played three games against Al Sadd - two losses and one draw. So the players really want to win this game. The way we play now I am satisfied with it so I will continue with the same style," added the Danish tactician.
Al Sadd are undefeated in the League so far this season and are currently third in the table. The Wolves will look to continue their good form against their biggest rivals Al Rayyan.
Hisham Zahid, assistant coach of Al Sadd, thinks his team is ready for the crunch encounter."We are ready for all the games and the players know the importance of this game. We expect a backlash from Al Rayyan after their loss against Gharafa. We will continue our preparation until the match and we have no absences. It will be a different atmosphere from all the other games and we are looking forward to it."
Speaking about his opponents, Zahid added,"Rayyan is a good team, one of the best in the League and even if they lose some games, they are still very strong. We won against them last season and we hope we can repeat that result."
"I think El Jaish deserve to be in first place. They get more chances because they work hard and they are playing much better than everyone else right now. From our side, we will try our best to be in the first position and chase them.When you get points from the top teams it gives you confidence and motivation for the rest of the season. And that is important if you want to challenge for the title," added the assistant coach.
During the past eight matches, Al Rayyan have won twice, whilst Al Sadd have won on three occasions. The sides have also drawn in three clashes.
The matchup promises to be a high-scoring affair with 25 goals scored in the eight games with an average of 3.12 goals per match. Al Sadd have netted 13 goals and Al Rayyan have struck 12 goals.
