1 week Ago
Doha: The Ooredoo-Qatar Stars League (OSL) is set for a thrilling evening of football with six simultaneous kick-offs scheduled today in the penultimate Round 21—action that could prove decisive for title contenders Al Sadd and a still-hopeful Al Duhail.
Defending champions Al Sadd currently lead the standings with 46 points, while Al Duhail trail closely with 44, having slipped from the top following a heavy 0-4 defeat to Al Shamal in the previous round.
In today’s fixtures, Al Sadd will take on bottom-placed Al Khor at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, while Al Duhail face Al Arabi—currently ninth with 23 points—at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium.
Al Duhail must win to keep the title race alive and take the battle into the final round.
Al Duhail's Michael Olunga (right) attends a training session with a teammate yesterday.
However, a defeat or draw for Al Duhail, combined with a win for Al Sadd, would seal the title for the reigning champions.Al Duhail’s coach Christophe Galtier speaking to the media ahead of the crucial clash against Al Arabi, said, “Everyone believes Al Sadd will win the league. Of course, anything is possible and Al Sadd are at the top of the league, but nothing is guaranteed yet.
Certainly, Al Sadd could stumble like we did and the scales in the league could tip.
“We could not handle the pressure (against Al Shamal) when we were the better side and I cannot believe the players were not excited. However, I believe the intense pressure while we were in the lead (in the standings) was a major factor in the way we performed during the match.
“I expect a strong response from the players. I am delivering my message through this press conference to the players and I will also tell them in the dressing room that the Al Shamal match was the biggest disappointment of my entire coaching career. Our fate is no longer in our own hands now that we lost and Al Sadd are on top of the league.
“The players know I am angry and I am convinced they did not lose on purpose, but the pressure got the better of them and that is confusing to me, because we have experienced players. We were not playing to avoid relegation, but we were playing for the title. This kind of pressure should be positive.
However, we did not handle it well,” stressed Galtier.
Meanwhile, Al Sadd coach Felix Sanchez said, “We are now preparing for the final two matches in the league and we are fully aware of their importance. We have reached the top spot, but if we want to continue, we must continue winning.
“I believe both teams have a lot to offer in this match. Al Khor, after their recent results, are fighting to stay in the First Division while we are trying to achieve our goal of winning the title. Therefore, both teams are expected to give their best during the match.
“Every victory brings us closer to the title and this is always Al Sadd’s goal. However, we must maintain our current position against Al Khor so that we can enter the final match relying solely on ourselves. Our full focus is now on the Al Khor match and we hope to perform well and secure the three points,” said Sanchez.
In one of the other important games, Al Ahli and Umm Salal will be up against each other at the Al Thumama Stadium.
Umm Salal, who are in 11th place in the rankings with 15 points, are in desperate need of a win to avoid being in direct relegation threat - with the bottom-placed Al Khor snapping at their heels with a tally of 13 points.
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