QNB Stars League: Al Sadd Take on Al Gharafa in Week 17

Doha, February 03 (QNA) - The Week 17 of the 2021-2022 season QNB Stars League starts on Friday with a number of strong matches. Umm Salal face Qatar SC in Week 17 of the 2021-2022 season QNB Stars League at the Qatar SC Stadium on Friday. Umm Salal are in outstanding form. They were back on the winning path with their 3-1 victory over Al Gharafa in Week 15 and built on it by handing Al Shamal a 6-0 defeat in Week 16. Umm Salal are placed fifth with 25 points from 16 matches. The Orange Fortress, under Wesam Rizik, have six wins, seven draws and three defeats against their name with a goal difference of +11 (30 goals for and 19 against). Qatar SC are ninth in the table with 16 points (four wins, as many draws and seven defeats) from 15 matches. Moroccan Youssef Safri-coached The Kings have a goal difference of -4 (16 goals for and 20 against). They had lost 2-3 to Al Gharafa in Week 16. Qatar SC will be without their first-choice goalkeeper Jassim Al Hail, who got injured against Al Gharafa. Qatar SC's Week 13 match against reigning champions Al Sadd was postponed on the request of Al Sadd as many of their players were infected with the coronavirus. Umm Salal and Qatar SC were locked in a 2-2 draw in the first leg. Moreover, Al Arabi face Al Shamal in Week 17 of the 2021-2022 season QNB Stars League at the Qatar SC Stadium on Friday. Al Arabi, who lost 2-4 to reigning champions Al Sadd in the Qatar Derby in Week 16, are sixth in the table with 23 points from 16 games (seven wins, as many defeats and two draws). The Dream Team, under Younes Ali, a goal difference of -3 (18 goals for and 21 against). Al Arabi may be bolstered by the presence of Tunisian Yousef Msakni and Gabonese Aaron Boupendza after the duo's participation in the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon. Al Shamal, coached by Moroccan Hicham Jadrane, are placed 10th with 13 points (three wins, four draws and nine defeats) from 16 matches. They have a goal difference of -16 (20 goals for and 36 against). Al Shamal had lost 0-6 to Umm Salal in Week 16. Al Arabi had beaten Al Shamal 3-1 in the first leg. Furthermore, Al Ahli face Al Khor in Week 17 of the 2021-2022 season QNB Stars League at the Al Ahli Stadium on Friday. Al Ahli, coached by Montenegrin Nebojsa Jovovic, are placed eighth with 17 points from 16 matches (three victories, eight draws and five defeats). The Brigadiers, who held Al Rayyan to a 1-1 draw in Week 16, have a goal difference of -10 (11 goals for and 21 against). Al Ahli and Al Rayyan are on same number of points, but the latter are placed ahead on goal difference (-3). Al Khor, under Brazilian Andre Lima, are 11th with 11 points (one win, eight draws and seven defeats) from 16 matches. The Knights, who held Al Sailiya to a 1-1 draw in Week 16, have a goal difference of -20 (13 goals for and 33 against). Al Ahli and Al Khor had played out a 2-2 draw in the first leg. On Saturday, Al Gharafa face Al Sadd in Week 17 of the 2021-2022 season QNB Stars League at the Al Sadd Stadium. Al Gharafa and Al Sadd are in great form, having beaten Qatar SC (3-2) and Al Arabi (4-2 in Qatar Derby) respectively in Week 16. Champions Al Sadd went on to beat in-form Al Wakrah by a 6-0 margin in the postponed match from Week 11 on 31st January. Both Al Gharafa and Al Sadd have a star-studded line-up and great fan following. Those factors add up spice to the encounter. Al Gharafa, coached by Andrea Stramaccioni, are fourth in the table with 26 points (eight wins, two draws and six defeats) from 16 matches. The Cheetahs have a goal difference of +5 (28 goals for and 23 against). Al Sadd are topping the table with 40 points with two matches in hand - against Qatar SC (Week 13) and Al Rayyan (Qatar Clasico, Week 14) - which were postponed. The Wolves, under Spaniard Javi Gracia, are the only unbeaten team in the tournament (13 wins and one draw). They have a goal difference of +40 (57 goals for and 17 against). Al Sadd had beaten Al Gharafa 6-4 in the first leg. Also, Al Rayyan face Al Duhail in Week 17 of the 2021-2022 season QNB Stars League at the Al Sadd Stadium on Saturday. That it will be a high-voltage game is a foregone conclusion. Al Rayyan, coached by Laurent Blanc, are placed seventh with 17 points from 15 matches (four wins, five draws and six defeats). The Lions, who were held 1-1 by Al Ahli in Week 16, have a goal difference of -3 (21 goals for and 24 against). Al Rayyan's Week 14 match (Qatar Clasico) against reigning champions Al Sadd was postponed. Al Duhail, under Portuguese Luis Castro, are second in the table from 16 matches with 33 points. Six points separate them from leaders and champions Al Sadd, who have two games in hand (against Qatar SC and Al Rayyan). The Red Knights, who have registered 10 victories, three draws and as many defeats, have a goal difference of +22 (39 goals for and 17 against). Al Duhail suffered further setback in their title hopes when they were beaten 4-0 by Al Wakrah in Week 16. Al Duhail had beaten Al Rayyan 3-0 in the first leg. Meanwhile, Al Wakrah face Al Sailiya in Week 17 of the 2021-2022 season QNB Stars League at the Al Ahli Stadium on Saturday, 5th February, 2022. Al Wakrah have been in good form and are placed third with 28 points from 16 matches (eight wins, four draws and as many defeats). They had made it big in Week 16 with a 4-0 win over strong contenders Al Duhail in Week 16. However, The Blue Wave, under Spaniard Marquez Lopez, crashed to a 0-6 defeat to holders Al Sadd in their postponed match from Week 11 on 31st January. Al Wakrah have a goal difference of +2 (24 goals for and 22 against). Al Sailiya, coached by Tunisian Sami Trabelsi, did well in Week 15 by holding Al Duhail to a 1-1 draw. But The Peregrines, who played out a 1-1 draw with Al Khor in Week 16, have only one victory, four draws and 11 defeats against their name with a goal difference of -20 (eight goals for and 28 against) from 16 matches. Al Wakrah had beaten Al Sailiya 1-0 in the first leg. (QNA)