Al Sailiya Down Al Ahli
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SPORT Saturday 22 September 2018 PAGE | 18 PAGE | 19 Liverpool eye Smith, Warner to history against mentor team-mates Southampton on club return Qatar Clasico: Ferreira vows ‘great encounter’ THE PENINSULA Both teams are looking playersplayers are overworked,overworked, alsoalso injuries.injuries. “This“This season staystay there.there. TheThe “I dodo not havehave anythinganyt to duedue to internationalinternational cco o m - is thethe bestbest forfor me to win in order to take leadersleaders at worryworry aboutabout beforebefore theth game, DOHA: Sparks are bound to fly mitments, of late. withwith AAll SaddSadd forfor the lead in the standings thisthis stagestage but I know we’re also goingg to as Al Sadd host Al Rayyan in the We are manymany reasons, and the game will be needneed not faceface one ofof thethe bestbest teamste in highly-anticipated Qatar Clasico carefulcareful aboutabout includingincluding the open: Jesualdo Ferreira finishfinish thethe Asia. We know their strengthsst today, with both top teams fieldingfielding thethe tournament andand weaknesses,weaknesses, butbut we will chasing a top spot in QNB Stars team in good harmonyharmony inin the same primarily focus on oourur ability. League standings. shapeshape fforor tthehe betweenbetween We respect Al Sadd, but position.position. “Our“Our newnew BrazilianBr Al Rayyan, captained by QatarQ atar thethe playersplayers in we will play the game strikerstriker LucaLuc is a Rodrigo Rabata have 11 points ClasicoC l asico additionaddition to thethe in our style. We hope doubtfuldoubtful starter. from five matches, and if they withoutwithout new playersplayers who to succeed: Rodolfo So is injuredi will beat Xavi-led Al Sadd they moremoo rer joined us. We have been defenderdefe Arruabarrena will secure top position at least winningwinning at thethe domesticdomestic GonzaloGonzalo Vieira,” for a week. Al Sadd and Al Duhail levellevel andand alsoalso in thethe AFC saidsaid Rodolfo.R have 10 points each from four ChampionsChampions LeaLeague.gue. The match will kick off at matches apiece due to their AFC “Hassan Al Haydous has the Al Sadd Stadium at Champions League beenbeen injuredinjured since thethe beginningbeginning 5:55pm. quarter-finals. ofof the season and we playedplayed a Al Sadd coach Jesualdo Fer- lot of games without him. The reira said the match will produce most important tthinghing now is tthehe AlA Sadd, but we will play thethe a lot of fireworks. balance in the team desdespitepite the game in our style. We hopepe “It is going to be a great absencesabsences andand thatthat is whatwhat we are to succeed. encounter and I urge all our fans trying to achieve,” said “I also hope the gamee to be at the stadium to cheer us Ferreira.Ferreira. will be played in a goodd on. Both teams are looking to Al Rayyan coach Rodolfo atmosphere, true to thee win in order to take the lead in ArruabarrenaArruabarrena alsoalso promisedpromised sporit of Qatar Clasico, andd the standings and the game will A-gameA-game ffromrom hishis ranks.ranks. fans will enjoy the actionn be open,” he said ahead of the “We are going to play an when both teams will fightt it crunch tie. importantimportant game. We will face out on the field. “I hope none of our players one of the best teams in the QNBQNB “We are at the top ofof Rodrigo Rabata gets injured due to the fatigue Stars League,League, whichwhich is a strongstrong standings now, which meansns that they suffered of late. Our competitioncompetition in AAsia.sia. We resrespectpect we have to win the games to Al Duhail shift focus Al Sailiya down Al Ahli; to QSL after Asian Umm Salal earn victory CL heartbreak THE PENINSULA Al Duhail vs Al Gharafa FAWAD HUSSAIN Kick-off: 8:05pm THE PENINSULA Al Sailiya players celebrate a goal against Al Ahli during their DOHA: Al Duhail are hoping for QSL match at Hamad Bin Khalifa a successful return to the QNB Maaloul said mistakes cost DOHA: Al Sailiya showed nerves Stadium, yesterday. Stars League (QSL) following his team dearly in the loss of steel as they came from behind PICTURE BY: SYED OMAR their loss in the AFC Champions against Persepolis. twice to secure an impressive 4-2 League quarter-finals earlier “Against Persepolis, we put victory over Al Ahli in an this week. our spearhead Yousef El Arabi absorbing battle at the QNB Stars Al Duhail, seeking to defend on the bench because we had a League (QSL), yesterday. their QSL title, will take on Al plan in place and that suc- The match at the Hamad Bin Gharafa today at their home ceeded in the first half when we Khalifa Stadium yesterday saw turf, eyeing victory after their pushed Almoez Ali against the all the goals being scored in the loss to Iran’s Persepolis in the Iranian team’s defence. second half after a goalless first quarter-finals. “Our plan surprised the half. “It is a tough game, espe- rivals, but individual mistakes The victory took Al Sailiya’s cially psychologically, after our in the second half deprived us points tally to 12 points, along AFC Champions League exit in of success. I have a strong squad with Al Arabi who also have 12 the quarter-final stage. We are at my disposal and it will come points from 6 matches. trying to boost the morale of the good,” said Maaloul. Al Sailiya got their goals from players because, despite the Meanwhile, Al Gharafa Majdi Siddiq (68th minute), defeat, we were closer to the coach Christian Gourcuff said Abdulqadir Adam (82nd), next round,” said Al Duhail his team will have to give it’s Abdulkareem Al Ali (87th) and coach Nabil Maaloul. best to achieve the desirable Rachid Tiberkanine (92nd), “Now we are in the QSL and results against champions Al while, Meshaal Abdulla scored Al Sailiya looked for early goals. from both the sides, the first half we are still missing Luis Martin Duhail. both Al Ahli’s goals ( 54th and Al Ahli were equally impressive, ended with a goal being scored. due to his injury. But we have a “We did not deserve to lose 74th minutes) in the match. and did not deserve to lose the Al Sailiya came closest to strong pool of young players to Umm Salal in the last round It was a tight contest right match by this margin. breaking the deadlock deep into who can satisfy our fans by in terms of performance. I have from the start as both Al Ahli and Despite repeated attacks the first half, with Abdulkareem helping win the league cham- tried my best to prepare the firing narrowly wide from pionship,” said the coach. team in a better way. We had distance. YESTERDAY’S RESULTS “The most important thing better avoid the mistakes we The match was completely we are thinking about now is committed against Umm Salal,” different in the second half with Al Sailiya bt Al Ahli 4-2 the result of the game against he said. Meshaal breaking the deadlock Umm Salal bt Al Kharaitiyat Al Gharafa although we have to “We will sorely miss the nine minutes into the second be at our best. We talked a lot services of Dutch star Wesley half. However, Majdi made it 1-1 2-1 to the players in order to help Schneider, who will need for Al Sailiya on a stunning free- them get out of the psycho- around a month to recover from kick that bent around the wall saved until injury time when logical blow,” he said. a muscle injury,” said Gourcuff. and into the far corner. Abdulqadir fed Tiberkanine on It did not take long for Al Ahli the edge of the area, with the to get their noses in front again Moroccan teeing the ball up on with, Mohsine Moutaouli sending his right foot before striking a another through ball in to beautiful volley to seal all three Meshaal who dispatched his points. Umm Salal's second of the evening. In other match at Al Khor Tilal Ali Ali (left) The real turning point came Stadium, Umm Salal edged out in action against in the 82nd minute when Al Al Kharaitiyat 2-1 to claim full Al Kharaitiyat’s Sailiya were awarded a penalty, points. Umm Salal have now Muhammed Raza despite the protests from the vis- secured 10 points from six during their QSL iting side, which Abdulqadir matches while Al Kharaitiyat are Al Duhail coach Nabil Maaloul (right) during a pre-match match, yesterday. stepped up to bring the scores yet to open their account after level. losing all their six matches in the press conference in Doha. The moment of the night was league so far. SATURDAY 22 SEPTEMBER 2018 SPORT 17 Osaka muscles into Tokyo semis AFP “My serve will be there when I’m in danger. That’s how I saved TOKYO: Japan’s Naomi Osaka a lot of break points at the US exuded a major champion’s aura Open and I’m not trying to do yesterday as she dispatched anything different.” Barbora Strycova 6-3, 6-4 to Earlier, fourth seed Karolina reach the Pan Pacific Open semi- Pliskova saved two match points finals, despite being nowhere before the former women’s top- near her best. ranked player ended American The third seed, who stunned qualifier Alison Riske’s run with Serena Williams to capture the a 6-1, 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/4) victory. US Open title earlier this month, The Czech, who smashed a failed to hit the same heights she racquet in disgust after squan- did on that historic night in New dering multiple chances at 5-5 York.