Al Ahli, Qatar SC Braced for Tough Fight Aiming to Finish in Top Four Tribune News Network Doha
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Qatar National QatarTribune Qatar_Tribune Arabian QatarTribuneChannel qatar_tribune Horse Show concludes; QNA Peninsula Horse Show begins paGE 14 TUESDAY, APRIL 6, 2021 Al Ahli, Qatar SC braced for tough fight aiming to finish in top four TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK DOHA IN what will be a key battle be- tween Qatar Sports Club and Al Ahli in QNB Stars League at the Jassim bin Hamad Sta- dium on Tuesday, both sides will push hard aiming to finish among the top four. Qatar SC and Al Ahli had contrasting fortunes in the last round, with the former los- ing 1-2 to Al Sailiya and slip- ping one position in the table to fifth with 31 points and the latter gaining much ground as they climbed from sixth to fourth spot with 32 points fol- lowing their 2-1 last-gasp win over lowly Al Kharaitiyat. Al Ahli coach Nebo- jsa Jovovic said the win over Kharaitiyat, in which Ibrahim Majid struck in the stoppage time, has motivated his side. “The victory over Al Kharaitiyat that helped us get back into the top-four bracket is a strong motiva- tion for us to be on the win- ning path and end the season Al Ahli coach Nebojsa Jovovic said on Monday his team is motivated to end the season in the best way Qatar SC coach Younes Ali said his side was back to full strength and was looking to regain the lost in the best way,” the coach while addressing the media on the eve of the Week 21 clash against Qatar Sports Club on Tuesday. ground. “We will fight it out to achieve what we want,” he said referring to a top-four finish. said on Monday. “Football is always fair and calmly look at things as we do want,” he said. bled their chances to be in the But Al Khor, coached by gives every team what they not have much time before the QNB Stars League Standings “We were somewhat af- top four,” added Younes. Winfried Schefer, are placed deserve. Our players, admin- next match, so we are show- Pos Club MP W L D GF GA GD Pts fected by the absence of a Meanwhile, Al Rayyan 11th with 15 points and face istrative and technical staff ing high concentration to face 1 Al Sadd 20 17 0 3 72 13 59 54 number of our players in our will face runaway champions the possibility of playing the all deserve congratulations on Qatar SC. I do not want to talk 2 Al Duhail 20 14 5 1 48 24 24 43 previous match against Al Al Sadd . Rayyan are on 34 relegation play-off with Sec- the important victory over Al about our match against Qatar 3 Al Rayyan 20 10 6 4 29 19 10 34 Sailiya and the full-strength points, two more than Ahli ond Division runners-up to Kharaitiyat. Now everything is SC in the first leg, which we 4 Al Ahli 20 10 8 2 27 33 -6 32 squad now will have a positive and will look to preserve their retain their berth in the top in our hands and we can hope lost by a 1-4 margin because impact. It is a morale booster third place. For Sadd, they are flight. 5 Qatar SC 20 9 7 4 29 20 9 31 to finish the season in the top our performance was not up ahead of the match. looking to end the season un- The goalless draw that the four,” the Brigadiers’ coach to the mark. Now, the match 6 Al Gharafa 21 9 9 3 36 33 3 30 “Al Ahli are a strong team beaten in the league. Knights played out against Al added. is open for both teams,” said 7 Al Arabi 20 7 8 5 24 29 -5 26 with very good players. They In another match on Tues- Wakrah on Saturday did not Ahli, who once led the Jovovic. 8 Al Sailiya 20 7 8 5 21 32 -11 26 have a highly-qualified coach day, Al Duhail will take on help their cause either. league, had lost to Qatar SC Meanwhile, Qatar SC 9 Al Wakrah 21 6 10 5 17 29 -12 23 and presented good levels the relegation-threatened Al Just like the penultimate 1-4 in the first leg but Jovovic coach Younes Ali said his side 10 Umm Salal 20 4 10 6 11 26 -15 18 through which they achieved Khor. Duhail ensured that round, Week 21 will also six said there was no way to be of was back to full strength and 11 Al Khor 20 3 11 6 15 40 -25 15 what they deserved in the they would finish this season matches on Tuesday with the any concern for his side. was looking to regain the lost 12 Al Kharaitiyat 20 3 17 0 15 46 -31 9 league (top-four position). as the runners-up behind al- other clashes being: Al Wak- “I trust the capabilities of ground. They did exceptionally well ready-crowned Al Sadd after rah vs Al Gharafa, Umm Salal my players to finish the league “We realise the importance tions were done with great en- of us in the team family will against Al Gharafa and Al the former beat Al Arabi 3-2 vs Al Sailiya, Al Arabi vs bot- in the best way. We have to of the match, so our prepara- ergy to score a victory and all fightit out to achieve what we Khor, and those results dou- on Saturday. tom-placed Al Khararitiyat. UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUARTER-FINALS Zidane to wait until Bayern and PSG replay last season’s final Hazard is fully fit before return DPA Sergio Ramos for the match LONDON - said: “I don’t know if it’s a weakness, because there are REAL Madrid coach Zinedine other players that can cover. Zidane said he will wait until “We also have injuries, but Eden Hazard is fully fit before the strength is in the team.” the former Chelsea midfielder returns to action. Dortmund young star Zidane hinted over the Moukoko to miss rest weekend that Hazard could of the season be fit to face Liverpool in the Meanwhile, Borussia Champions League on Tues- Dortmund’s young star play- day night, having not played er Youssoufa Moukoko will Paris Saint-Germain’s Brazilian forward Neymar during the French L1 match against Lille at the Bayern Munich’s players during the Bundesliga match against RB Leipzig on since March 13 due to a hip in- miss the rest of the season Parc des Princes Stadium in Paris on Saturday. (AFP) Saturday. Bayern will miss top striker Robert Lewandowski. (AFP) jury, but the forward was not due to a ligament injury in in the squad released by Ma- his foot, the Bundesliga club DPA League side without captain drid on Monday. said on Monday. BERLIN Paris Saint-Germain will once again face Bayern Munich on their way to Sergio Ramos, who’s injured. “The most important thing Moukoko suffered the in- Champions League glory. Last season, both teams met in the final, with Porto are playing the un- for him is to be calm on his jury during the group stage LAST season Champions derdogs after eliminating Cris- return,” Zidane said. “The im- round of the under-21 Euros League winners Bayern Mu- the Bavarians taking the most desired trophy in Europe to Germany tiano Ronaldo-powered Ju- portant thing for us is for him in Hungary. nich and runners-up Paris ventus in the previous round. to be fully recovered. “Injuries are part of it and Saint-Germain didn’t take long “With a view to the weeks Manchester City have ex- have led to sharp critics from Coach Sergio Conceicao will “With the players, we nev- it’s a big challenge for a player. to meet again. Less than eight ahead, which will be very ited at the quarter-final stage the club’s managing director miss their top scorer Sergio er let them come back if the It’s all about how you deal with months after the 2019-20 final tough, it’s good to have a three years running, but can Hans-Joachim Watzke. Oliveira, who’s suspended. player is not ready. Of course it,” Moukoko wrote on Insta- in Lisbon, both teams will face breather now and then and take a boost of confidence “I’ve always defended the “We know we have play- we want him with the team. gram. “I will work harder and each other again on Wednes- clear the head,” said coach from their league run: just team. But I can no longer do ers with quality to be in the Now we will do things little by stronger. The Mouki will be day to keep title hopes alive. Hansi Flick, who gave two one defeat since last Decem- that for the performance in the quarter-finals. If we’re here it’s little and we will see when he back soon.” On the same day, under- days off to the majority of the ber and top of the table with a game against Eintracht Frank- because we worked, we fought is back.” The match will be the In addition, Dortmund dogs Porto play Chelsea, while squad. 14-point advantage over Man- furt,” Watzke said after the 2-1 and we deserved it,” Porto first meeting between Madrid will be missing Jadon Sancho on Tuesday, Premier League PSG can be happy with Le- chester United.