The opening match of round 19 sees Al Kharaitiyat take on Mesaimeer at Al Khor Stadium (kick-off 4:45 PM).Kharaitiyat go into the game on the back of a 1-1 draw against Al Ahli and will be confident of defeating the league’s bottom side.
All things considered, it’s been a frustrating season for Kharaitiyat. The Thunders are 12th in the QSL and will be eager not to get dragged into a relegation dogfight. Qatar Sports Club, currently in 13th, moved to within four points of Amar Osim’s men on Sunday after a surprise victory over Al Sadd, and that result will have Kharaitiyat looking over their shoulders.
It’s something of an understatement to suggest Mesaimeer have endured a difficult maiden season in the QSL. They have claimed just four points from 18 matches – a haul which includes only a single victory.
Slowly but surely, however, Mesaimeer appear to be improving. Regular thrashings at the start of the season have been replaced with much closer matches in recent weeks. Rodion Gacanin’s men even held out for 89 minutes against runaway leaders Al Rayyan until Rodrigo Tabata broke the deadlock with a pinpoint free-kick.
The second match on Thursday sees reigning QSL champions Lekhwiya take on second-placed El Jaish at Hamad Bin Khalifeh Stadium (kick-off 7:15 PM).
The Red Knights have lost two in a row – to Al Sailiya and Al Arabi – following an eight-match winning streak, and will be desperate to bounce back against the Soldiers.
Jaish were held to a 2-2 draw by Al Gharafa last time out to lose more ground in the title race. Sabri Lamouchi’s men are in high spirits though, after recently qualifying for the group stages of the AFC Champions League.
Sardor Rashidov is a doubt for Jaish after picking up a knock during the defeat of Naft Tehran in the Champions League qualifier. The inspirational Uzbekistan winger missed the draw with Gharafa and looks likely to sit out Thursday’s match against Lekhwiya.
Both sides have Champions League matches to look forward to next week, and there’s little doubt their focus will be on the cup competitions between now and the end of the season. With Rayyan 15 points clear at the top with only eight games to go, the Falcon Shield appears to be out of reach for both clubs.
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