Doha: Qatar Sports Club will look to bounce back from a shaky start while Al Rayyan are eyeing to retain their top spot in the standings as the prestigious Qatar Stars League (QSL) heads into the third round with four matches to be played today.

Qatar SC will square-off today with Al Arabi today at their home ground in what has been dubbed as the ‘Match of the Week’.

Qatar SC had a bad start to the season failing to win any matches and are currently sitting on 11 position in the points table. This has been a surprise to many as last season they played exceptionally finishing fourth.

Last year Qatar SC relied heavily on the goals of Hamdi Harboui who grabbed an impressive 21 goals in his first season but so far the Tunisian has failed to find the same kind of form.

Moreover the addition of Moroccan striker Mouhcine Iajour from Moghreb Tétouan hasn’t helped much either as the two forwards have struggled to gel as of yet.

For Al Arabi last season was frustrating with managerial changes and key players leaving the club midway through the season the Dream Team finished in an underwhelming 8th place.

However this year has been a different story in the two games they have played so far they have bagged all six points.

Despite not looking particularly convincing when they managed to get a goal up they held out for the win and have yet to concede a goal.

New Head Coach Gianfranco Zola has been brought in over the summer. This is the former West Ham manager’s first appointment in the region and so far he has managed to get the best out of his side despite their lack of flair.

The match will probably be decided by a single goal as both clubs have found it hard to come by goals.

For Qatar SC this is a crucial game if they are able to rediscover some of last season’s flair then they will no doubt shoot back up the table however they have to find it soon as the fans are starting to get a little impatient.

The key for Qatar SC is whether the two front men can make a proper partnership up top whilst for Al Arabi the main issue will be their ability to keep possession as so far they have given it away to cheaply. In other matches today defending champions Lekhwiya will look for their second consecutive victory when they will on Al Khairatiyat at their home backyard. Earlier on the day El Jaish will take on Al Khor while Al Gharafa will meet Al Ahli.

Meanwhile football giants Al Rayyan who made their remarkable return to the coveted league will take on Umm Salal tomorrow at the Al Sadd Stadium eyeing to capitalise on a good start.

Al Rayyan are leading the points table after two impressive victories.

“We are going into this match after two victories which will give us more motivation” Al Rayyan’s Assistant Head Coach Julio Cesar said ahead of the match.

“We are also very happy and proud of the club’s fans and their attendance which is what makes us want to play to our best during matches. All the players are ready to turn up the pressure on Umm Salal and get a positive result. We will be playing to win against Umm Salal.”

Umm Salal Head Coach Bulent Uygun said: “The match is going to be a difficult against Al Rayyan. The opponents are a very strong team and will be one of the five teams competing for the league title.”

“The spectators attendance during the coming game might reach a very high number” he added.

“We have met them in a friendly before the start of the league and we lost by four goals but this time we are ready for them. We are not afraid of Al Rayyan or any other team we face. In fact with the huge fan base of Al Rayyan the match will be more exciting” said the Umm Salal coach.

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