The Qatar Stars League (QSL) will resume its action in the New Year with the commencement of Round 14 today.
Today's early kick-off sees Al Shahaniya take on Al Rayyan at the Grand Hamad Stadium at 4.15pm.
Later, Al Arabi will face Al Sailiyah at the same venue and Al Khor will meet Umm Salal at Al Khor Stadium with both games kicking off at 6.25pm.
Al Shahaniya, who are currently in 12th position with 12 points after registering just two wins so far this season, will attempt to cause a league upset when they take on Al Rayyan who are currently in 5th position with 22 points.
Al Shahaniya will be looking to bounce back from their heaviest ever defeat after receiving a ten goal thumping by Lekhwiya at the end of 2016. They also go into this fixture led by their new Head Coach, Croatian Igor Stemac.
Stimac, wants to restore confidence in his side. “I know Shahaniya didn’t fulfill expectations in the first round and it’s my job to change that. Some of our players are injured but we can bring players from the bench.”
“We know we have a difficult game tomorrow against the champions, Al Rayyan. They are a good team on an individual and collective level. I hope my players show commitment to at least get a point tomorrow,” added the Croatian tactician.
Speaking about his goals as the head coach, Stimac said, “For the moment we have started working together to improve the team. We have a strong belief that we can produce results. The players are concerned about relegation and how they have to behave in order to stay in the league. I have confidence in the team and hope for a positive result tomorrow.”
Al Rayyan are now fifth in the table after suffering their third defeat of the season against Al Khor in round thirteen. The Champions will be looking to make amends against a struggling Shahaniya side.
Michael Laudrup, the head coach of Al Rayyan, said this about his opponents, “They have a new coach and they will try to play tactically because it’s his first game. They are a good team and we will be looking for the three points against them as it’s important for us.”
Al Arabi will be looking to continue their good form following their win over Umm Salal in Round 13 which moved them up to 6th in the league. Al Arabi will face off against league strugglers Al Sailiyah who are currently sitting further down the table in 11th position with just 12 points and three wins all season.
Al Khor, who currently find themselves sitting in 9th position with just 12 points from three victories this season, will be hoping for all three points when they go head to head against Umm Salal, who are currently sat in 7th position with 16 points. Al Khor will be brimming with confidence after beating Al Rayyan 3-1 in the last round and will be hoping to replicate that form and steal all three points. Umm Salal will be looking to come out strong and bounce back from their loss to Al Arabi in round 13 as they look to push on and try and secure a top four spot.
Al Khor beat the Champions, Al Rayyan, in their last game and are ninth in the table with twelve points. The Knights will be looking to inch forward in the table with a win against Umm Salal.
Jean Fernandes, the head coach of Al Khor respects his opponents, “We have a lot of respect for Umm Salal. We have an obligation to play well and to win. The match has become more and more difficult that’s why we have to try our best to collect points.” “Umm Salal didn’t lose easily and didn’t lose a lot of matches. They have players with strong presence on the field. After the Al Rayyan match our team regained full confidence but during the break we didn’t just work for the next game but for all games which are coming up,” added the Frenchman.
Umm Salal are currently seventh in the table with sixteen points from thirteen games. The Orange fortress will be looking to protect their position in the table with a positive result against Al Khor.
