Al Rayyan and Al Arabi will meet in a high-profile match of Week 4 of the 2023-2024 season Expo Stars League at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium on Saturday, September 23, 2023. The kick-off is at 6pm.

The league is resuming after a hiatus of over 20 days. During the international break, the Qatar national team engaged in two friendly matches against Kenya and Russia, while Al Sadd and Al Duhail participated in the opening round of 2023-2024 AFC Champions League.

It is anticipated that the forthcoming match will witness a substantial turnout, given the immense popularity of both teams and the profound enthusiasm exhibited by fans of both clubs, in addition to their extensive social media followings.

The Qatar Stars League and Ooredoo have also launched the ‘Welcome to the Stadium’ initiative to motivate fans to come to the stadiums, starting with the Al Rayyan vs Al Arabi match. The initiative includes working on marketing, promotion and the development of a plan to motivate fans to come to the stadium and improve the match-day experience through many competitions and events, in addition to allocating a number of prizes and gifts to the fans. A number of matches have been identified to activate the initiative.

From a technical standpoint, all indications point towards an imminent match that will be marked by a considerable degree of intensity on the field. This is especially evident in light of the substantial reinforcements that both teams have acquired in the recent period leading up to the conclusion of the summer transfer window.

Al Rayyan succeeded in finalizing the deal for Moroccan Achraf Bencharki after his departure from UAE club Al Jazeera and he was included in the list to replace his compatriot Sofiane Boufal, who was injured and has been absent from the team for some time.

Portuguese coach Leonardo Jardim is counting on the team’s strong attack to defeat Al Arabi and achieve a fourth consecutive victory in the league to maintain their sole leadership in the standings.

Al Rayyan are in the lead with nine points. They have scored six goals and conceded three so far.

Al Arabi, on the other hand, recently signed Italian star Marco Verratti to strengthen their midfield. The former Paris Saint-Germain player, who will likely be fielded in place of Icelandic Aron Gunnarsson, will feature alongside his former PSG teammate Rafinha Alcantara. Al Arabi’s strength will be complemented by the presence of the superb attacking duo of Omar Al Somah and Yousef Msakni.

Al Arabi coach Younes Ali hopes that the match will be the beginning of a great resurgence for them, runners-up last season.

The team presently holds the sixth position, having accumulated just three points from three drawn matches. Consequently, they are eager to secure their first victory, thereby advancing their chances of contending for the top spot. Additionally, Al Arabi’s win would mar Al Rayyan’s flawless start to the season.

Certainly, all the data point to a full-fledged confrontation that everyone who loves Qatar football is waiting for and the question remains: Who will win the three points?