Al Sailiya coach Sami Trabelsi spoke to the media ahead of their 2021-2022 season QNB Stars League Week 3 match against Al Arabi.

“Facing Al Arabi will be difficult, especially after the development of their level from last season. They are playing in a different way and their great fan support gives them motivation, but our chances seem equal. This match is very important in our journey in the league. If we want to be at the top of the league standings, we need to get a positive result.

“The matches between Al Sailiya and Al Arabi always have a special character. The results cannot be predicted and there is some excitement in the games. There is respect between both clubs and I hope that the match will be played at high technical and enthusiastic levels.

“The psychological aspect of Al Sailiya players is always very important and we must learn from the lessons that we had. Psychological factor has a great impact on our matches and everyone witnessed this after we appeared with two different faces in the previous two matches. Our reaction comes late and we must have the offensive initiative from the first minute and focus throughout the match.

“The next match may feature our Tunisian player Nassim Hnid after his return from injury, in addition to the possibility of goalkeeper Claude Amine playing, but we prefer to let the players recover well from injuries to ensure their safety and full readiness before they take the field,” said Trabelsi.

Al Sailiya player Saad Al Sowan said, “Our match against Al Arabi is considered as one of the difficult clashes, given that they are great competitors having many outstanding players, overseas recruits and Qataris.

“At the same time, we have confidence in ourselves despite the difficulty of the match, but we will give all our efforts to achieve a positive result and continue winning.

“It is normal for any team to enter the match with the aim of winning and we will work on that and do our best in the match from beginning to end.”