The QNB Stars League’s Week 13 fixtures on Friday are Al Arabi vs Al Duhail (Al Arabi Stadium, 16:25) and Al Markhiya vs Qatar SC (Al Arabi Stadium, 18:35).

Al Arabi vs Al Duhail

Al Duhail will be keen to maintain their unbeaten run. Algerian coach Djamel Belmadi has indicated that nothing less than a victory against Al Arabi would satisfy them.

The red Knights are on 32 points and have a four-point lead over second-placed Al Sadd and Al Rayyan, and they will certainly not want to have any hiccups in their bid to lift the league shield.

They have a host of players to do the job, the key performers being league’s top scorer and Moroccan striker Youssef El Arabi (19 goals), captain and Tunisian attacking midfielder Youssef Msakni (11 goals) and South Korean playmaker Nam Tae-Hee.

Al Duhail have goalkeeper Khalifa Abubakr back in action after suspension. Amin Lecomte, who came back from his loan move to Al Khor, is also there to guard their citadel.

Al Arabi further strengthened their defence by roping in Hamad Al Harbi for one-and-a-half years. The 22-year-old left-back is expected to take the field against Al Duhail.

The Dream Team had recently hired Croatian defender Ivan Foster.

Croatian coach Luka Bonacic had intensified the preparations of Al Arabi, who had lost 0-2 to Al Duhail in the first phase.

Al Arabi are eighth in the table with 10 points. They may miss Talal Al Balooshi, who got injured during training. 

Al Markhiya vs Qatar SC

The clash between Al Markhiya and Qatar SC, the two sides at the bottom, will be a sort of do-or-die battle.

Both have eight points, but Qatar SC are more precariously placed having been pushed to the basement on goal difference (-18), the least among all teams.

The Kings showed signs of a revival after Qatari coach Abdullah Mubarak took over from Gabriel Calderon, but they came a cropper against Al Duhail in Week 12.

However, they have bolstered the squad with strikers Syrian Osama Omri and Brazilian Patrick Fabiano. And Iranian attacking midfielder Sijad Mujtaba is soon expected to join them.

Al Markhiya are coming off a strong performance, which saw them hold formidable Al Sadd goalless.

The recruitment of attacking midfielder Eric de Oliveira should add some teeth to The Oryxes’ forward line given that they are the side to have scored the least number of goals (eight) in the QNB Stars League.

The Brazilian has vast experience playing in the leagues of Ukraine, Japan, Romania and Saudi Arabia.

Qatari coach Youssef Adam would hope Bilal Mohammed & Co take revenge for Qatar SC’s solitary-goal win when they faced off in the first phase.