Doha: Al Rayyan is taking nothing for granted ahead of this week’s Qatar Classico againstAl Sadd, Rashed Al Khalifah Vice-President of the club said here yesterday.
Al Khalifah said both sides were capable of winning the game.
He also urged Lions fans not to think they had already secured the Qatar Stars League title, despite sitting ten points clear at the top after winning their opening 11 games. “
The Classico is always tough and exciting,” said Mr Khalifah.
“Thursday’s match is no foregone conclusion. We cannot say that Al Rayyan or Al Sadd will win, as both sides are capable of earning the three points.
“We know that Al Sadd will be desperate to bounce back from their recent defeats. However, we also want to keep our winning run going. It promises to be a really exciting game – I expect a full stadium and brilliant atmosphere.
“It doesn’t matter that we have won 11 games in a row, while Al Sadd have lost their last two. The Classico is always different – the best team on the day will win. I’m expecting an exciting and open game with plenty of goals.”
Al Khalifah went on to say he disagreed with pundits who said the QSL title race was effectively over.
“I don’t think the title has already been won. We are obviously very happy with our start and feel very confident, but there is a long way to go. We have only played 11 games so far, so we are not even halfway through the season.” Al Khalifah also thanked the Rayyan fans for their support.
“The fans have been amazing. We need them to stick with us throughout the season as we aim for success.”
Meanwhile, Al Sadd team manager Abdullah Al Briek said yesterday he was confident of a positive performance from his side against arch-rivals Al Rayyan today.
QSL giants Al Sadd are set to host Al Rayyan at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in their annual ‘Classico’ clash.
“The match will be very difficult for both the side, but I am confident that our players will do well on our home ground,” Al Briek said yesterday.
“We have confidence in Al Sadd players because we have experience on our side,” he added.
Al Briek said Al Sadd players will not back down from a tough challenge.
“Al Sadd team is capable of winning this game. We enter each and every game with only one aim and that is to win and gain the three points,” he said.
“We will be playing to win this game,” he said. Al Briek added fans are anticipating the ‘Classico’ to be a memorable one.
“I expect the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium to draw a full house with fans of both the sides,” Al Briek said.
Commenting on whether the recent defeats against Lekhwiya and Al Sailiyah would effect the performance today, Al Briek said:“There will be no negative impact on the team’s performances. This is a different game from other clashes. We just hope we don’t make silly mistakes in such a big game.”
“I urged Al Sadd fans to come out in large numbers and support the teams,” he said.
“Their presence will make a difference,” Al Briek said.
“The fans will know that we are aiming at three points and we have the players to get the job done,” Al Briek said.
The Peninsula
