Al Sadd's Hassan Al Haydos (left) and Ahmed Suhail during a training session yesterday.
Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Stars League title race heads into a tense penultimate round today, with Al Sadd coach Roberto Mancini warning his side against any slip-ups as Al Shamal pile on the pressure.
Al Sadd and Al Shamal lead the charge for the Falcon Shield, but the stakes extend beyond the title with top-four places and relegation survival also hanging in the balance. All matches kick off simultaneously at 6:30pm.
Al Sadd (39 points) saw their advantage trimmed to just two points after a 1-1 draw with Al Rayyan, while Al Shamal (37) - with a game in hand - have emerged as serious contenders for a historic first title.
Mancini expects no easy outing against a desperate Al Sailiya side battling to stay up.
“It is very important that we win this game because we cannot afford to drop more points,” he said.
“We drew against Al Rayyan, but the team has worked hard over the past two days and we will push with everything to secure victory.”
Al Sailiya, on 19 points, sit just two clear of bottom side Al Shahania, adding urgency to their campaign.
Coach Mirghani Al Zain remains optimistic.
“This is one of the toughest matches of the season. At this stage, focus and mental strength are crucial,” he said.
“The team still has a chance to achieve its goals.”
Al Shamal riding momentum
Confidence is high in the Al Shamal camp ahead of their clash with Al Shahania, with coach David Prats targeting another win to sustain their surge.
“We are facing a team fighting relegation, and we respect them,” said Prats.
“But our objective is clear which is to win and continue our momentum.”
Al Shahania assistant coach Pejman Montazeri expects a battle.
“The players understand the situation. We need points and we are ready to fight,” he said.
Al Gharafa treating run-in as ‘finals’
Al Gharafa (34 points) remain outsiders in the title race but cannot afford another setback after their loss to Al Duhail.
Coach Pedro Martins has framed the final two matches - against Al Wakrah and Al Shahania - as must-win games.
“We now treat both matches as finals. We will give everything to win them,” he said.
“We must stay united and be fully ready for Al Wakrah.”
The Cheetahs are also under pressure in the race for the top four, with Al Rayyan (32), Qatar SC (31), Al Arabi (31) - both with a game in hand - and Al Duhail (30) all in contention for continental spots.
Al Wakrah, eighth on 23 points, are targeting a strong finish.
“We want three points to improve our position,” said coach Jose Sierra.
“Both teams have quality across the pitch, which makes this a difficult match.”
Elsewhere, Al Rayyan face Umm Salal, while Al Duhail take on Al Ahli, with both Umm Salal and Al Ahli level on 20 points in a tight relegation fight. Al Arabi also meet Qatar SC in a key clash with top-four implications.
“We have an important match against Al Ahli and aim to continue our winning run, while also preparing for our AFC Champions League Elite clash against Al Ahli Jeddah,” said Al Duhail coach Djamel Belmadi.
