Doha: QNB Stars League clubs Al Gharafa, Al Duhail, Al Sadd and Al Rayyan will be looking for positive results in the second round of AFC Champions League, to be played today and tomorrow.
Al Gharafa will host Iranian team Tractor Sazi in Group D (18:00) in Doha, while Al Duhail play with the UAE’s Al Wahda in Abu Dhabi the same day in Group B (17:50).
Al Wahda will be looking for a positive response following their 5-0 defeat to Lokomotiv last week ahead of the visit of Qatar’s Al Duhail to Zayed Sports City Stadium.
The loss was the heaviest reversal Al Wahda have ever suffered in the continental competition, although the Emirati team have never been beaten by Qatari opposition, while their last victory in the tournament was a 5-1 win over Al Rayyan in April last year.
Al Duhail were 1-0 down at the interval at home to Zobahan on Matchday One but finished the game in style as a quick-fire brace from Karim Boudiaf and a goal from Youssef Msakni wrapped up a 3-1 win.
Al Duhail would be keen to extend their winning streak at the continental level too when they take on Al Wahda. The Red Knights had defeated Iran’s Zob Ahan 3-1 in Doha.
However, Al Duhail’s task would be difficult given that Al Wahda had lost to Uzbekistan’s Lokomotiv Tashkent 0-5 in the first round.
Al Duhail, trained by Algerian Djamel Belmadi, are in good form, as was evident from their 5-0 victory over Umm Salal in Week 17 of the QNB Stars League. Al Duhail are second in Group B with three points.
A second victory on the bounce for the Qatari side would open up a six-point gap between themselves and Al Wahda and would put them in a strong position going into the double header with Lokomotiv in March.
On the other hand, Al Rayyan after suffering a 3-2 reversal to Al Jazira in their opening Group A fixture, will be looking to get points on the board when they welcome the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Tractorsazi Tabriz at Thani Bin Jassim Stadium today.
New acquisitions Mehdi Taremi and Wesley Sneijder both got their names on the scoresheet on Matchday One, but their goals were not enough as Al Jazira claimed all three points in an entertaining encounter.
Tractorsazi also got off to a losing start when 2017 quarter-finalists Al Ahli defeated them 1-0 in Oman as the Tabriz side’s return to continental action after a one-year hiatus ended in disappointment.
However, Tractorsazi have not been beaten in Qatar on two previous trips and, should they leave Doha with their record unscathed, will be firmly back in the hunt for the two qualification spots. Meanwhile, Al Sadd will be hungry for victory when they host Persepolis. The Wolves had beaten Al Wasl 2-1 in Dubai last week. And one more victory will greatly boost their hopes of advancing to the next stage of the competition.
Iranian league champions Persepolis had also won, 3-0 against Nasaf.
Al Sadd are in great form, defeating Al Arabi 5-1 in the Qatar Derby last week and are second in the QNB Stars League table with 43 points, just two behind Al Duhail.
Al Sadd, under Portuguese Jesualdo Ferreira, are second in Group C with three points.
