Al Ahli coach Ruben de la Barrera spoke to the media ahead of their 2019-20 QNB Stars League Week 8 match against Al Sadd.

“We know it will be a tough game against one of the best teams in the league and champions last season. We know the strengths of Al Sadd, so we must be at our best to win it.

“They’re capable of making a sudden comeback with players such as Baghdad Bounedjah, Hassan Al Haydous and Akram Afif in their ranks. I have great confidence in our players and their ability to provide the best level in this contest.

“We’ve noticed Al Rayyan beating Al Sadd. I have already said that any match result is based on small details. We should work to control the game and not allow Al Sadd to control it. We have good players who can score goals, but in return we should defend well.

“I was not surprised by the performance of Al Sadd against Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal in the AFC Champions League second-leg semifinal. Scoring four goals in Riyadh shows how strong their character is, but continental games are different from the league and we are excited about this game and look forward to winning it,” said Barrera.