Al Duhail coach Christophe Galtier spoke to the media ahead of their 2023-2024 season Expo Stars League Week 8 match against Al Rayyan.

“After our last match against Al Shamal, I decided to give the players a rest to regain their strength, especially since it was a few days after our match against Al Nassr. It was important for them to get some rest before starting preparations for the match with Al Rayyan.

“We went through a number of training sessions and intensified the work on the technical and physical aspects, and I believe that the players are ready for this contest.

“There will certainly be pressure on the players, but it will be positive pressure. The players have experience in playing such matches. We are happy to face a team that is ahead of us in the standings, as such games  are exciting and strong.

“I know that the team conceded many goals in previous matches and we must know that this matter is not only a defensive problem, but a problem for the group as a whole, and there must be adjustments in most positions, and we focus our work on this matter. My goal is for the players to understand. For this reason, we must play organized football and always have the desire to score more goals than the opponents we face.

“He (Ruben Semedo) is an important player in the squad and his return is a good addition to the team. Since I took over my duties, I have found him work very seriously in training and he is one of the players that I rely on a lot.

“We will work hard to prepare and prepare the team to achieve the desired results and make the fans happy in the upcoming matches,” said Gaultier.

Al Duhail player Assim Madibo said, “An important match awaits us, which we will play with great enthusiasm after the recent victory we achieved, and the team is capable of scoring points. We know that it is a big match against a very distinguished team and we love matches like these that are characterized by competitiveness and enthusiasm.

“Al Rayyan are a big team and have professionals who will make the difference, but we must focus on ourselves and our performance.”