Defending champions Al Duhail face Al Markhiya in the opening match of Week 16 of the 2023-2024 Stars Expo League at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium of Al Duhail club on Tuesday, March 5, 2024. The kick-off is at 6pm.

Both teams enter the game with the sole goal of achieving victory and earning three points. Al Duhail come from a loss in the previous round against Al Gharafa, while Al Markhiya seek to continue their winning streak after their thrilling win against Al Wakrah.

Al Duhail dropped to seventh place in the standings after their 1-4 loss to Al Gharafa in the previous round. Their points tally remains at 18 points, with a goal difference separating them from Al Arabi, who are in sixth place with the same number of points.

French coach Christophe Galtier of Al Duhail is still looking to restore balance to the team and deliver their best performance, especially as they are the title holders. The coach and the rest of the coaching staff will work on stopping the bleeding of points in the recent matches.

On the other hand, Al Markhiya occupy the 12th and last position in the standings with seven points. The team managed to win for the second time this season in the previous round, defeating Al Wakrah 2-1.

Al Markhiya coach Majed Bouguerra seeks to improve the team’s position and win more points that will help them move up the standings. The match against Al Duhail will be very challenging, but the recent reinforcements and the victory last week may give the team additional motivation to achieve the desired results.

The result of the first leg ended with an Al Duhail 2-1 victory.