Doha: Unbeaten Al Duhail has already pocketed the QNB Stars League (QSL) title with two more rounds still to go, the focus has now shifted as to which of the teams will clinch the fourth spot.
Will it be Al Gharafa or Umm Salal - the only teams in contention for the prestigious position that guarantees a place in the elite, four-team Qatar Cup.
Al Duhail (54 points), Al Sadd (46) and Al Rayyan (39) have been assured of the first, second and third position respectively.
The fourth-spot clash became intense after both Al Gharafa and Umm Salal won in Week 20, against Al Sailiya (3-0) and Al Sadd (2-1) respectively. Only one point separates the teams.
Al Gharafa have 32 points from nine wins, five draws and six defeats, while Umm Salal, on 31, have to their credit eight victories, seven draws and five losses.
Al Gharafa scored 39 goals and conceded 31 to have a goal difference of +8, whereas Umm Salal scored 30 goals, but conceded 31 to be one goal in deficit.
Umm Salal take on Al Rayyan vs Umm Salal in Week 21 today.
The match assumes more significance for Umm Salal, ifr they are keen to displace Al Gharafa from the fourth position in QNB Stars League standings.
Umm Salal are having an impressive run, while Al Rayyan’s form slumped slightly of late.
Al Rayyan had also lost big-time to Al Gharafa in Week 19. Even though it is a foregone conclusion that they would finish third, Michael Laudrup’s men will be keen to collect as many points as possible from the remaining two matches.
“Al Rayyan are doing good in the AFC Champions League though they suffered some setbacks in the QNB Stars League. Naturally, they are tough opponents. They are changing players from game to game,” Umm Salal coach Talal El Karkouri said on the eve of the match.
“It is very crucial for us to win the next two games if we have to finish among the top four. We cannot lose or draw and wait for Al Gharafa’s results. We must play well week in and week out,” he added.
“I am expecting Al Rayyan to field their best eleven. They may play with 60 per cent of their main players also because of fatigue resulting from their Asian engagements.
“They have many young players in their ranks. I was away from Qatar for two years, so I could not keep track of them much. We have not decided whether to go all out or take a defensive approach. I will take a call on that only after seeing how the opponents (Al Rayyan) play even though we badly need three points. We will adopt a wait-and-watch approach,” said El Karkouri.
Al Rayyan coach Michael Laudrup said Umm Salal are tough opponents.
“Great week for Al Rayyan as well as other Qatari clubs competing in the AFC Champions League. We gained crucial points which will make us continue our Asian campaign with more confidence. Now, we will encounter Umm Salal… the team struggling for the fourth position. We are in the third position and we are well aware of our status,” Laudrup said.
“This also does not mean we will enter the game with strength in order to win the three points. We know Umm Salal well and they are a tough team to defeat,” he added.
“Since our loss to Al Sadd, we knew that we will not retreat to the fourth position and we also will not win the league title. This was clear in the players’ minds. Since that moment, the league was a closed chapter for us and we then turned our focus to the AFC Champions League,” the Dane said.
“When we speak about the league, there is only one team that did not lose any game and therefore they are the league champions. We should all congratulate them. No other team can be compared to Al Duhail as they also won all their group-stage fixtures in the AFC Champions League,” he added.
