Al Thumama Stadium will host the anticipated-match between Al Arabi and Umm Salal in Week 11 of the 2024-2025 season Ooredoo Stars League on Sunday, December 8, 2024. The kick-off is at 7.30pm.

Both teams approach the match under remarkably similar conditions, having each experienced a defeat in their previous outing.

This renders the upcoming match critically important for both sides as they aim to enhance their standings. The narrow point gap between the teams adds further intensity to the encounter, motivating each side to outperform the other; Umm Salal currently hold the eighth position with 11 points, while Al Arabi sit in 10th place with 10 points.

The outcomes of the last round serve as significant motivation for the players in both teams as they strive to avoid additional setbacks and secure a victory that would bolster their standings and distance them from the lower ranks.

Al Arabi, under the guidance of coach Anthony Hudson, are eager to return to winning ways following a heavy 0-5 defeat to Al Duhail. Hudson is counting on key players such as Ahmed Alaaeldin, Abdou Diallo, Jassem Jaber and Luiz Martin to deliver a favourable result that would uplift the team’s spirits and conclude the first leg on a high note.

Conversely, Umm Salal enter the match with new Spanish coach Pablo Machin at the helm, who succeeded Frenchman Patrice Carteron. Machin aims to initiate a positive turnaround for the team by instilling motivation in the players and addressing the decline in performance observed in recent matches, including a 0-3 loss to Al Ahli. The team will depend on notable players like Kenji Gorre, Oussama Tannane, Marouane Louadni, Khalid Abdulraouf and Adel Alawi to secure a successful outcome.