By Sports Reporter/Doha


Sparks are expected to fly when defending champions Lekhwiya take on title-chasers Al Sadd in a mouthwatering encounter today at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium. The match begins 7.15pm.
This season, however, it assumes even more significance as the winners will most probably go on to win the league.
The standings show that after 18 rounds of QSL action, Al Sadd lead by a single point. Lekhwiya who last season won the league are currently on 42 points with just 8 games left.
At the start of October when Al Sadd beat Lekhwiya 3-0 away, it was a clear statement of intent for the rest of the season. That match saw Al Sadd control the game and get their tactics spot on.
In the last five games, Sadd have drawn 3 and won 3, their latest victory came against Al Arabi, a 2-1 win at the Jassim bin Hamad stadium.
Lekhwiya, meanwhile, continued to be unimpressive as they could only manage a 1-0 win over bottom of the table Al Shamal. The lackluster win means that they will have to raise their game this weekend if they hope to get anything from the clash. In their last six games the Red Knights have won 5 times and lost only once to El Jaish (2-0).
“It’s the big game. And it’s the big game this season because it’s the No. 1 team playing against the No. 2. And we are far away from the team in third place in the table (El Jaish),” said Lekhwiya coach Michael Laudrup.
“It’s very important game for both of us. Even if it won’t decide the title. There are still seven games after this. But both of us will be keen to win this. It’s a game that you look forward to as a player and as a coach because these are the big clashes.
  “This is the third time we will be playing Sadd this season. The Sheikh Jassim Cup was a tight game but we lost that. In the League, they were much better than us.
  “In the league clashes that we’ve had, they dominated in the midfield and because this they dominated the match. Khalfan Ibrahim and Hassan al-Haydos are very, very important players for them and these players made a difference that day.”
In the last 15 matches  between the two sides, Al Sadd have come out on top with eight wins to Lekhwiya’s six. They have drawn once with the score ending 2-2.  
For the neutrals out there this match will be an opportunity to see the crème de la crème of QSL football and an added bonus is that in the last 15 encounters there hasn’t been a single game that has ended goalless.
Laurdup, however, dismissed suggestions that the outcome of the match will decide the title
“I don’t agree that this match will be the title decider. If they win, they will have a gap of four points. But it won’t be the end of the title challenge for us. Both of us play four games in 15 days.
“In the last three games, they have to play Gharafa and Jaish. But still
four points is a good margin for them and so it’s very important for us not to lose this game.”

Ahli extend winning streak
In yesterday’s action, Al Ahli extended their winning streak to three after defeating Al Shamal 3-2.
Meshal Abdullah struck in each half and Dioko Kaluyituka added one of his own as Al Ahli leapfrogged Al Shamal into fourth place on goal difference with 29 points from 19 matches.
Maher Haddad and Mamouni Dagano were on target for Shamal. Meanwhile, Qatar Sports Club missed a golden opportunity to shift El Jaish from third place when they were beaten 2-1 by Al Gharafa.
Moayad Hassan and Ibrahim al-Ghanem scored for Al Gharafa, while Qatar Sports Club’s lone goal game from a penalty scored by Hamdi Harbaui.
In the day’s other two matches, Umm Salal defeated Al Wakrah 2-1, while Al Khor beat Shahaniya 3-1.