Al Sadd and Al Rayyan will be up against each other in the high-profile, much-awaited Qatar Clasico in Week 11 of 2023-2024 season Expo Stars League at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium of Al Sadd club on Saturday, December 9, 2023. The kick-off is at 7.30pm.

The clash pits two highly-esteemed Qatar football teams against each other. This match holds significant importance for both Al Sadd and Al Rayyan. Al Sadd aim to secure their eighth victory in the league, maintaining their impressive start.

On the other hand, Al Rayyan seek to assert their claim in the race for the championship title this season. Currently, Al Sadd hold the second position in the standings with 22 points, having two postponed matches against Al Arabi and Al Duhail in hand. Meanwhile, Al Rayyan sit in third place with 19 points.

Both teams are diligently preparing for the upcoming match by engaging in daily training sessions. Each coach is determined to prepare their team in the best possible way to secure a victory.

Al Sadd coach Wesam Rizik understands the significance of this match and the three points it could bring to his team. He is willing to utilize all his key players to ensure a win, especially with the return of Guilherme Torres from injury and the presence of Akram Afif, Baghdad Bounedjah, Gonzalo Plata, Hassan Al Haydous and other talented players in their ranks.

Al Sadd, who secured a 4-0 victory against Al Shamal in Week 10, recently drew 2-2 with FC Nasaf of Uzbekistan in the sixth round of 2023-2024 AFC Champions League. They concluded Group B engagements by finishing second.

Conversely, Leonardo Jardim, the Portuguese coach of Al Rayyan, is well aware of the distinctiveness of Al Sadd compared to other teams. Therefore, he acknowledges the significance of delivering a strong performance against them. He plans to field the best available squad to secure a victory, which would greatly boost the team’s morale for the remainder of the tournament.

Al Rayyan heavily rely on the offensive prowess of Spaniard Rodrigo Moreno, who is putting in tremendous effort alongside Brazilian Roger Guedes and Moroccan Achraf Bencharki. Additionally, the team benefits from the presence of midfielder Abdulaziz Hatem and defender Bassam Al Rawi, along with other players.