FFOOTBALLOOTBALL | Page 3 NNBABA | Page 5 Barcelona Porter’s 25 and Real pushes continue Nuggets title tussle past Pacers Saturday, January 4, 2020 CRICKET Jumada I 9, 1441 AH Pope’s half-century GULF TIMES gives sputtering England a late lift SPORT Page 4 PREVIEW Rublev arrives for Qatar ExxonMobil Open Duhail wary of improved Qatar SC By Sports Reporter Doha ui Faria’s Al Duhail will be wary of much- improved Qatar Sports RClub when the two sides clash in the QNB Stars League today at Al Gharafa Sta- dium. Al Duhail, leading the stand- ings with 29 points, one ahead of second-placed Al Rayyan, are unbeaten so far in 11 matches and would like to keep it that way as they target their 10th victory, having drawn two games so far Al Duhail have been boosted by the presence of new recruit and star Croatian forward Mario Mandzukic, who joined them after a long stint with top Ital- football, you cannot know what ian club Juventus. He has also can happen in the future and plied his trade with Bayern Mu- there are unexpected things that nich and Atletico Madrid among may happen. But in general, we other clubs. must work continuously in or- Qatar SC are seventh in the der to achieve our targets,” said standings with 13 points (four Faria. Russian tennis player Andrey Rublev poses at the Hamad International Airport on his arrival in Doha yesterday for the Qatar ExxonMobil Open starting on Monday. The wins, one draw and six defeats), Qatar SC goalkeeping coach 22-year-old has won two titles so far and is currently ranked 23rd in the world. but they have won three of their Wesner who attended the press last four games, a fact not lost on conference said his team cannot Faria. aff ord to be lax against Al Duhail. FOOTBALL “The match will defi nitely be “Al Duhail are the league lead- diffi cult for us. For that matter, ers and they have solid strength all league matches are strong in all departments of the game, and we will work hard to achieve right from defence through the victory as well as full points, middle and into the attack. We and also to provide an enjoyable must accept the challenge and game to the fans,” said the Por- play with high concentration tugal native. from the beginning of the game “We will face an opponent until the end. And fi ght the bat- Brahimi treble in much improved in the recent tle with intelligence and as a times. Looking at their statistics group,” said Wesner. in the last four games, we fi nd “We have trust in the capa- that they won thrice and drew bilities of all the players and we once. We hope the scenario of know how to prepare them psy- the fi rst match between us in the chologically for such big match- league’s fi rst leg will not get re- es. Al Duhail are diff erent from peated, when we pulled off vic- other teams. They have players Al Rayyan victory tory at the death. I hope we will who can change the result in the win this time.” last minute, so what is always re- Faria also spoke on the off ers quired is focus. And that is what from outside Qatar which Al- we tell our players because errors Al Rayyan now have 28 points, one behind leaders Al Duhail moez Ali has been getting. in such games can prove costly.” “Everyone knows that Al- In another match today, Al moez Ali has off ers from outside, Sailiya will clash with Al Khor. By Sports Reporter chi attacked the left fl ank before pulling which is a good thing for the Coach Sami Trabelsi spoke to Doha Yacine Brahimi celebrates after the ball back from the byline into the path player and for the team. But un- the media ahead of their 2019- scoring for Al Rayyan against of the grateful Amangoua, who smashed til now, the matter has not been 20 QNB Stars League Week 12 Umm Salal yesterday. home to give his side the lead. decided.” match against Al Khor. acine Brahimi’s fi ne hat-trick The spirited performance continued He said the addition of Mand- “Ahead of our game against gave Al Rayyan a 4-0 win over and they were unfortunate not to double zukic was to make improve their Al Khor, as a coach, I must give Umm Salal in the QNB Stars their lead when both Amangoua and Ali attacking options. an evaluation of our work and YLeague at the Al Gharafa Stadi- Ferydoon went close. So often the archi- “In football, players can have what we have done to correct um yesterday. Brahimi scored in the 33rd, tects of their own downfall, Al Shaha- periods of diff erent levels. They the mistakes. We have been 55th and 67th minutes (penalty) after Ab- nia gifted Al Gharafa the equaliser when can off er a special match and it preparing for a large number of dulaziz Hatem opened the scoring as early Saleh al-Yahri brought down Muad Has- appears less in another one. We, matches that we will play during as the fi fth minute. san in the penalty area. The referee au- in Al Duhail, always want the this month and have worked on Brahimi, who joined The Lions from thoritatively pointed to the spot and Han- best. Our contract with (Mario) improving the fi tness of play- top Portuguese side FC Porto at the start ni stepped up to put his side level with a Mandzukic was to increase our ers,” said Al Sailiya coach Sami of this season, has been playing a vital powerful strike. off ensive options and make our Trablesi. role in their good run so far. He is leading Before the half was out, The Cheetahs capabilities stronger. “We also realised that we have the QNB Stars League’s top scorers’ chart nearly scored the goal of the season when “When Al Duhail compete in not been scoring many goals and with 10 goals. Al Rayyan now have 28 Abdulghani Muneer latched onto a long any competition we enter to win worked on it as well. We hope points, one behind leaders Duhail, while pass and struck an audacious volley that the title, but we have to think that this year will be better for Umm Salal remained at the rock bottom rose narrowly over the crossbar. about each match separately. In the team than last year.” of the table with fi ve points. Into the second half and Al Shahania Umm Salal have an uphill task on hand quickly restored their lead as an excel- as Al Shahania, who also have the same lently-executed through ball by Ahmed Lewandowski and Coman to miss number of points, had beaten Al Gharafa Akaichi was pounced up on by the preda- Munich’s Qatar training camp 2-1 in the day’s early kick-off . Abdulaziz Hatem opened the fl ood- hit the horizontal. tory Amangoua who neatly fi nished to It was a disappointing performance gates following a brilliant spadework by Earlier, Al Shahania pulled off a shock grab his second of the game. Munich: Striker Robert camp. by Umm Salal than their 2-2 draw with Brahimi. 2-1 win over Al Gharafa, their fi rst victory His side was dealt a blow not long af- Lewandowski and winger Their first Bundesliga match Al Rayyan in the fi rst leg, in the tourna- After Rodrigo Tabata missed a penalty of the season. ter when Ferydoon was given his march- Kingsley Coman will not take is January 19 at Hertha Berlin, ment’s opening week. The Orange For- in the 20th minute, Brahimi himself was Al Shahania’s goals were scored by ing orders in the 66th minute following a part in Bayern Munich’s winter with Lewandowski expected to tress recently replaced Spaniard Raul on target thrice as the game progressed. Kesse Amangoua in the 19th and 54th second yellow card and that led to a resur- break training camp in Qatar, be fully fit again by then. Caneda with their former player and Tabata was unlucky as he narrowly minutes, whereas Al Gharafa had earlier gence by Al Gharafa. the Bundesliga champions said Also not in Doha are Javi Mar- Moroccan Aziz Ben Askar. This was their missed the target later on. equalised through Sofi ane Hanni in the They were able to immediately threaten yesterday. tinez and Niklas Suele who are ninth defeat of the season, while Al Rayy- Umm Salal had to play with 10 men af- 41st minute (penalty). and Ebrahim Mordou was forced to make League top scorer Lewand- recovering from injury and are an notched up their eighth victory and ter Rami Fayez was red-carded for fouling Al Shahania coach Jose Murcia would two fi ne saves in quick succession from owski is to train in Munich after in rehabilitation. stayed as the only unbeaten side, along Frank Kom in the 64th minute and Brahi- have been delighted with the vital three Muad and Hanni to keep his side in the groin surgery on December 21, The seven-time reigning with leaders Al Duhail. mi completed his hat-trick by converting points they collected against one of the lead. and so is Coman who suff ered a champions Bayern are third It was all Al Rayyan with 66 per cent from the spot. league’s best sides. The game settled down after this and Al knee injury in mid-December.