Doha: Al Sadd and Al Arabi will face off in a challenging semifinal of Qatar Cup 2023 at the Al Sadd Stadium on Thursday.
The clash is a battle between two big teams – both of whom are looking to make it to the final while chasing their own ambitions.
Al Sadd qualified for the tournament by virtue of winning the 2021-2022 season QNB Stars League with 62 points, while Al Arabi made the cut after finishing in fourth place with 36 points.
Al Sadd seek to defend the title they won in 2020 and 2021, while Al Arabi are in the tournament for the first time after its launch as Qatar Cup in 2014.
Al Sadd, who are in line for a hat-trick Qatar Cup triumph, had previously won the championship in 2017.
Adding to the battle is the top form of both Al Sadd and Al Arabi. The match therefore will witness great excitement and firepower. The winner of the clash will make it to the final and meet the team which makes the grade from the second semifinal between Al Duhail and Al Wakrah.
Al Sadd have the advantage of coming into the semis on the back of four consecutive wins in the league after the long break, having regained the services of their international players.
Al Sadd will count on two things – the first is their strong comeback, second their important 2-0 victory over Al Arabi in Week 11 with goals from Santi Cazorla and Hassan Al Haydous.
Al Arabi too are firing on all cylinders with the return of their national players back in the side. They have been among the top two leading teams in the league and will also look to prove their mettle in the Qatar Cup.
The Dream Team’s enthusiasm will be unrivalled within the team, which got back to winning ways in the league with a big 3-0 win over Al Rayyan.
Al Arabi seek to win a title after a long gap, therefore their players will spare no effort to snatch victory and advance to the final.
The ranks of both teams include a number of high-level players who can put on a strong show. Al Sadd would be banking on their attacking strength with the likes of Baghdad Bounedjah, Akram Afif, Cazorla, Al Haydous and others.
On the other hand, Al Arabi will rely on stars Omar Al Somah, Yousef Msakni, Aron Gunnarsson, Helal Mohammed, Hamed Ismail and others. They also have Brazilian star Rafinha Alcantara.
Al Duhail face Al Wakrah in the second semifinal of Qatar Cup 2023 at the Al Sadd Stadium on Thursday.
Al Duhail are currently the leaders in the QNB Stars League standings. The Red Knights have also won the Qatar Cup twice and hence will go in as the favourites, but Al Wakrah had scored a 4-2 win over Al Duhail in the league’s first leg before the rivals hit back in the return leg scoring a 1-0 win.
Al Wakrah, however, are excited since they are competing in the Qatar Cup for the first time since it assumed its new name in 2014. The Blue Wave will therefore be keen to grab the opportunity and also put behind the disappointment of their recent losses in the league.
The winner of this tie will advance to the final and face the winner of the first semifinal between Al Sadd and Al Arabi.
Both Al Duhail and Al Wakrah have attacking line-ups and are backed by experienced coaches in Argentinian Hernan Crespo and Spaniard Marquez Lopez respectively.
Al Wakrah were on fire at the beginning of the league when they also beat Al Duhail before suffering reversals later, including in their last two matches, but the capabilities of the sides cannot be undermined.
Al Duhail have bounced back to fine form and are riding high on the back of five consecutive league victories including the one against Al Wakrah.
Their league status, however, would not matter much since the knockout clash will bring out the best from the starry line-ups of both these teams. Both possess great attack, defence and are well-equipped with worthy goalkeepers.
Al Duhail’s spearhead is their striker Michael Olunga (top goal getter in the league). Besides there is also forward Almoez Ali and midfielder Nam Tae-Hee. But Al Duhail’s brilliance lies in their teamwork. Ferjani Sassi and Luis Martin are active in the midfield, and Khaled Mohammed, Yousef Ayman and Mohammed Musa are strong in defence.
Al Wakrah will look to keep flying high, with their top scorer Jacinto Dala expected to help them regain the scoring touch that was missing in their last two league matches against Al Duhail and Al Gharafa.
Al Wakrah will also depend on Mohamed Benyettou, captain Ahmed Fadhel and goalkeeper Saoud Al Khater to deliver the goods.
Given what is at stake, none of these two teams will give away anything and both will be aggressive and cautious at the same time providing for a pulsating tie.
Al Wakrah qualified for Qatar Cup 2023 following an exceptional season in 2021-2022, where they finished third in the league standings with 37 points, while Al Duhail were the runners-up with 47 points.
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