Al Sailiya have a tough task on hand when they face reigning champions Al Sadd in a QNB Stars League match, which was postponed from Week 3 to 24th September. The kick-off is at 18:55 at the Al Janoub Stadium.

The game, originally scheduled for 15th September, was postponed due to Al Sadd’s AFC Champions League second-leg quarterfinal against Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr, which was played in Doha on 16th September.

And Al Sadd made it big by beating Al Nassr 3-1 to progress to the semifinals of Asian competition with a 4-3 aggregate score. The Qatari side had lost the first leg 1-2 in Riyadh on 26th August.

Al Sadd will face Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal in the semifinals, scheduled for October 1 (Doha) and October 22 (Riyadh).

Al Sadd are presently third with nine points. They are the only side with an all-win record. The Wolves’ victories were against Al Wakrah (4-1), Al Shahania (7-1) and Umm Salal (2-1). Xavi Hernandez’s men will look to continue their good run.

Victory will also help Al Sadd surpass Al Arabi and Al Gharafa, and lead the table.

All players, from goalkeeper Saad Al Dossari to striker Baghdad Bounedjah, last season’s QNB Stars League top scorer, are ready for the game.

In contrast, Al Sailiya are ninth with four points. They defeated Qatar SC 1-0 last week, only through a goal scored in the penultimate minute of the match.

For Al Sailiya, the game certainly means a lot. Also for their coach Sami Trabelsi.

The Peregrines, who earned the third position last season, are going through a lean patch and could register their first victory only after three rounds. They started off with a 1-1 draw with Al Khor and then lost 0-3 to Al Ahli.

Al Sailiya will be keen to again finish among the top four and cannot afford to drop points. They too have the players to deliver the goods and that should make the battle exciting.