Umm Salal have further scuppered their chances of a top four finish when they could only manage a goalless draw against Al Arabi tonight in the late kick-off at the Suhaim Abdulrahman stadium.

As the Qatar Stars League season nears to a close the pressure is building on the teams to deliver a strong finish.

Salal had suffered a shock 4-3 loss to Al Shahania before this clash and were keen not to repeat it the feat. 

Salal head coach Uygun Bülent had said during the pre-match press conference that he was shocked that his team was in this position but after their display this evening he will really need his players to pull up their socks if they are to qualify for the Qatar Cup.

The match ended up with both teams sharing equal possession but it was Arabi who had created more chances. They had 14 attempts on goal with five on target but couldn’t score. Salal, on the other hand, could only manage nine shots with just two on target.

This draw means that Salal are now in seventh place, five points behind El Jaish who themselves have slipped to fourth spot. With just five matches remaining, Bülent will need his players to try and play some of the exciting football they were playing in the first half of the season.

Their remaining matches are all against top teams, in round 22 they will take on table toppers Lekhwiya. After that they face Al Ahli, then Al Sailiya followed by Qatar SC and the last match will be against Al Khor.

This means Salal will probably end their season in mid table and they will really need to perform exceptionally if they want to qualify for the Asian Champions League or take part in the end of season Qatar Cup.

Arabi, on the other hand, have improved their position in the table, climbing two places to eighth.