The stage is all set for the second and final leg of 2019-20 QNB Stars League, with Week 12 action being scheduled for Thursday, 2nd January, Friday, 3rd January, and Saturday, 4th January (two matches on each day).

The tournament had resumed on 22nd December after a long break, during which Rounds 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the 2019-20 Ooredoo Cup, 2022 FIFA World Cup as well as 2023 Asian Cup joint qualifiers, 24th Arabian Gulf Cup and 2019 FIFA Club World Cup were held.

The Week 12 fixtures are Al Wakrah vs Al Sadd (16:10, Al Wakrah Stadium), Al Ahli vs Al Arabi (18:20, Al Ahli Stadium) on Thursday, Al Shahania vs Al Gharafa (16:10) at Al Arabi Stadium, Umm Salal vs Al Rayyan (18:20, Al Gharafa Stadium) on Friday, Al Khor vs Al Sailiya (16:10, Al Khor Stadium) and Al Duhail vs Qatar SC (18:20, Al Gharafa Stadium) on Saturday.

Al Wakrah and reigning champions Al Sadd will face off in the opener, followed by the Al Ahli vs Al Arabi game.

Al Wakrah are ninth in the standings with 12 points, while Al Sadd occupy the fourth position with 18 points and two matches in hand as their games against Al Arabi and Al Khor were deferred due to their AFC Champions League engagements.

Al Ahli are eighth with 13 points and Al Arabi sixth with 15 points.

Even though Al Ahli have the same number of points as Qatar SC, the latter were placed ahead on better goal difference (-3 as against Al Ahli’s -4).

Al Shahania, 11th with five points, face a difficult task when run into third-placed Al Gharafa (20 points).

Same is the case with bottom-placed Umm Salal who are up against high-flying Al Rayyan, second in the table with 25 points.

Umm Salal and Al Shahania both are on five points, but the latter are ranked better by virtue of goal difference (-14 compared to Umm Salal’s -16).

Al Khor (10th with six points) and Al Sailiya (fifth with 17 points) will both target full points, the former to stay away from the danger zone and the latter to be in the top four.

Al Duhail, who emerged as the winter champions with 29 points, will definitely not want any slip-up in their race to the title when they play Qatar SC, seventh with 13 points.