This week’s QSL match of the week will see an out of form El Jaish side take on a bang in form Al Rayyan at Lekhwiya stadium on Sunday evening. It’s a clash between the third and fourth place side in the league, and both teams will be eager to close the gap on league leaders Lekhwiya.

Jaish come into the tie on shaky league form after registering just one victory in their last five QSL games. Sabri Lamouchi’s side has relinquished top spot in the league thanks to draws with the likes of Al Sadd, Al Wakrah and Al Khor in recent weeks.

However the results don’t tell the full story of this slump in form, with Jaish missing a host of key players through long term injury and suspension. Ahead of the game, Jaish will be without the likes of top-scorer Romarinho along with Ali Sanad and Mohammad Al-Jabri through suspension whilst Khalid Abdulraouf, Yusef Muftah and Majid Mohammed are on a sizable injury list for Sabri Lamouchi.

The French tactician will be boosted however with the return to the squad of Brazilian defender Lucas Mendes, who sat out of his sides 0-0 draw with Al Khor through suspension. With a relatively small squad list at his disposal, Lamouchi will be turning to Uzbekistan international Sardor Rashidov to make the difference against the reigning QSL champions. The flying winger has been Jaish’s biggest attacking threat in recent weeks, and will be aiming to add to his haul of ten goals this season.

As for Al Rayyan, they have been quietly finding their rhythm under Michael Laudrup in recent weeks. They head into the Jaish game off the back of a three game winning streak in the league which has seen them consolidate fourth place. Last time out, Rayyan put in an impressive performance to register a 4-0 win over Al Sailiya.

The reigning QSL champions are not without their own selection problems coming into the tie, they will be without influential defenders Víctor Cáceres and Abdulkarim Al-Ali through suspension.  One boost for the Lions will be the return of right-back Mohammed Alaaeldin who sat out the Sailiya win through suspension.

Spanish attacker Sergio Garcia has been central to Al Rayyan’s upturn in fortunes and he will have to be at his lively best, if Rayyan are to come away with an important win. The former Espanyol man has two goals in as many QSL games and will be looking to notch again, just like he did in Al Rayyan’s 1-1 draw with Jaish back in late October.

It certainly seems that this is going to be a match to savor when third placed El Jaish take on a in-form Al Rayyan side in the QSL match of the week for round seventeen. You can pick up tickets for the Sunday evening match here.