Qatar SC have their task cut out when they run into Al Rayyan in Week 11 of the QNB Stars League on Saturday, 3rd November. The kick-off is at 17:15 at the Qatar SC Stadium.

Al Rayyan had made a big leap last week by jumping from fourth to second, behind Al Duhail, in the standings with 18 points following their 2-1 victory over Al Sailiya.

It was The Lions’ fifth win. They have also recorded three draws and two defeats to have a goal difference of 0 (10 goals for and 10 against).

Qatar SC, who beat Al Arabi 1-0 last week, also gained much ground with the win as The Kings are ninth with 11 points (three wins, two draws and five defeats). Their goal difference is -5, having scored 12 goals and conceded 17.

Both teams have experience in dealing with big-match situations and are traditional forces in Qatar’s football scene.

Qatar SC had started off the 2018-19 season with a bang, defeating Al Gharafa, but they went through a lean patch that resulted in them receiving a series of negative results and coach Abdulla Mubarak being dismissed.

Then came Argentina’s 1986 FIFA World Cup winner Sergio Batista at the helm and the team started producing good results.

Batista made The Kings an organised side, both offensively and defensively. That they have collected seven points from their last three games while conceding just one goal is proof of it.

As far as Al Rayyan are concerned, they suddenly found their rhythm and are even nurturing title hopes. So they would not want to drop points any more.