Doha, Qatar: The much-anticipated game between title contenders Al Duhail and Al Rayyan grabs the spotlight as Al Sadd look to retain their top place at the Expo Stars League (ESL), today.

The battle between the Red Knights and the Lions in the eighth round at Al Duhail’s Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium tonight will be crucial with both the heavyweights hoping to move up in the standings.

Defending champions Al Duhail are three points behind leaders Al Sadd after taking their tally to 13 points with win over Al Shamal last week.

Apart from keeping pursuit of the summit, there is more on the line for Christophe Galtier’s side that wants to enter the eagerly-awaited AFC Champions League home tie against Cristiano Ronaldo-led Al Nassr on November 7 on a winning note.

Galtier reposed confidence in his players, hoping to come out strongly from the crucial week with his team’s focus currently on Al Rayyan.

“There will certainly be pressure on the players, but it will be positive pressure,” the Al Duhail coach said ahead of the match.

“The players have experience in playing such matches. We are happy to face a team that is ahead of us in the standings, as such games are exciting and strong,” Galtier added.

Al Rayyan, who are third in the standings with 15 points, are coming back to action after a defeat against Al Gharafa that cost them the top spot.

They dropped points after conceding a stoppage-time goal from Al Gharafa’s Farid Boulaya with coach Leonardo Jardim warning the Lions against repeating mistakes against the reigning champions, spurred with attacking trio of Almoez Ali, Michael Olunga and Philppe Coutinho.

“We will play against a strong team, so we must play with full seriousness, with full concentration, and avoid the mistakes that the team made during the last match against Al Gharafa,” said Jardim.

The match will kick off at 7:30pm after Al Sadd will meet Al Markhiya, and Muaither play Umm Salal simultaneously at 5:30pm.

For Al Sadd, who have one game in hand, a victory at their home turf of Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium will keep them clear at the top of table.

Al Sadd coach Bruno Miguel hailed Al Markhiya, placed on the bottom of the table, as “organised team in defence” saying his team will strive for full points.

“We work in a big club like Al Sadd, so we need to win all matches. There is no room for draws or defeats. We need to be at the top and this is where we will definitely be,” said Miguel.

Al Markhiya have just three points from their only win in seven matches, and they would enter the game as “final” seeking a turnaround.

“We realize that every match is different from the other and of course we are preparing for every game. We cannot reveal our plan that we intend to begin against Al Sadd, but as I mentioned previously, the team’s situation requires that we go into every match as a final with strength and enthusiasm,” Al Markhiya coach Madjid Bougherra, said.

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