Qatar Stars League (QSL) title aspirants Al Arabi are hoping a win against Umm Salal on Friday will be the turning point in their title push this season. According to hugely popular coach Gianfranco Zola, Al Arabi's mid-season revival starts on Friday at Al Sadd Stadium.
 
"It's a very important game. If we can win tomorrow, then we have 2-3 relatively easy games after that and winning those will really push the team up in the standings," Zola said on Thursday.
 
"And so I think it's very important that players realize that and the fact that this game will be a difficult game. Umm Salal are a physical team and very strong. We will have to be strong as well," the Italian coach added.
 
With a tally of 19 points, Al Arabi are placed behind points leaders Al Rayyan (30), El Jaish (23) and Al Sadd (21)."Regarding our targets this season, we have put ourselves in a good position. We are not far away from the second points - only four points away," Zola said.
 
"We are working in the right direction. The second part of the season will be completely different. Many teams will change and I am sure Lekhwiya will change a lot. Teams will look to reinforce," Zola noted.
 

"We are going to try and improve the team as much as we can. Players will know more about what the manager is asking of them. We are building our team and we need to keep working. I know for sure that the second part of the season will be a completely different ball game," he added.
 
Zola said he is pleased with the bunch at Al Arabi despite the fact that transfer window is approaching fast, "At the moment we are not looking to reinforce our team. But we will think about it later because it's our duty to do so. At the moment I am happy with the team," Zola said.
 
"I have a lot of respect for the players and the effort that they have put in so far. We also have a big squad and many players are not getting match time. So a few players many need to go and play in other teams. But we will consider all our options. It might be also that we don't need to change at all," he said.
 
 
 
Umm Salal coach Bulent Uygun said he wants to upstage Al Arabi and sneak into the top-4 in QSL. "This game against Al Arabi is very important for the supporters. They are in the top 4 and we want to reach there," Uygun said on Thursday. Umm Salal  are just two points below Al Arabi.
 
"We are ready for this game and we have prepared well for it. We know that the game will be difficult against a team with good quality players, especially in defence. It will be a difficult game but we are playing for the win. In Umm Salal, players want to show their quality and want to win this game," Uygun said.
 
"We are playing against a team that is looking to play for the title or at least for the top 4. We are coming from two draws. We have a target to win all games and especially we want to win this one," the coach said.
 
"For sure it's a game of six points because if we win we will move ahead of them. If they win then that will take us far away from our target," Uygun said.