Al Arabi will face Al Ahli as they look to stay within reach of the top four. Arabi will be looking to bounce back after their 4-0 thrashing at the hands of El Jaish whilst Ahli will have to find a way to not concede last minute penalties which cost them two points in the last match.

Al Ahli Head Coach Zlatko Kranjčar
“This will be an important game for both the teams. Arabi had a difficult loss against Jaish and we will do everything to get back to winning ways. For us, it gives us an opportunity to get a good result and move into the top part of the table and continue fighting for that top 4 which is what our objective is this season. We are looking forward to this match.”

“During the last two games, we were in control of the game for the most part. But in those tense moments key players lost focus. They committed unnecessary fouls but that hasn't changed our style of play. We have worked with the players during training so that we can avoid such situations in the future games. Because losing points in this manner can be difficult for us and we do not want to drop more points like this.” 

“We are working hard to get to the level of last season. Sometimes this season we were at that level but there have been fluctuations in our performance. Last season we finished fifth but this season our objective is to finish in the top 4. So that's an additional burden on the players and more pressure to achieve that objective. That could be a side effect. But we have also had injuries to key players this season. Those players didn't get continuous games because of this. But we are hoping to get back to our level as soon as possible. Hopefully we will be able to win this game and you will be able to see the Ahli of last season.”

 

 Al Arabi Head Coach Gianfranco Zola
“I have been talking to the players yesterday about the reaction that is expected from them. When you lose badly like we did against Jaish, you have to accept that it was not a good day. When you play good teams like Jaish sometimes things can go wrong. It wasn't so much about losing as it was about losing badly. I am expecting a good game from my team. So far we have been positive. When you play teams like Jaish who are at a higher level than us, losing is a possibility but we hope to have a good reaction in this game and show the character of the team. Ahli will be a tough opponent but I expect my players to do well in this game.”

“If you look at our stats, we are probably the fifth most attacking team. But in terms of defence we are not so good. You might think that I am being defensive because I play five defenders. But the reason for that system is because with the players that I have, it gets the best out of them. Even though I play an extra defender, it's about what you ask the players to do. When you play teams like El Jaish, Lekhwiya and Rayyan, they will see more of the ball. We have to accept that. But if we play with a positive attitude then it will work for us. But I am not a defensive coach. Arabi will always play attacking football but I am an Italian so I will take care of the defensive aspect of my team as well.”
 
“We are working to get to the top 4. It's not easy. But we won’t change our ambition because we lost one game. When we face Jaish in a few months' time we will hope to be more competitive. But now we have to play a team that is on the same level as us. We could be better but we will need to prove it.”