Al Rayyan players during a training session yesterday.
Doha: Al Rayyan host Saudi Arabia’s Al Shabab today at Suhaim Bin Hamad Stadium in Round 3 of the Gulf Club Champions League.
The Qatari side tops Group B with four points after a 5-0 win over Yemen’s Tadamun Hadramout and a 1-1 draw away to Oman’s Al Nahda.
Al Rayyan coach Arturo Jorge leans on a potent cast led by QSL top scorer Roger Guedes, fellow Brazilians Gregory, Wesley Ribeiro and Thiago Mendes as well as standout keeper Mahmoud Abu Nada.
After a 5-1 league loss to Al Sadd, Al Rayyan seek a swift response in the regional contest.
“The match against Al Shabab is a big one for us, and we need to show a reaction after the Al Sadd game.
This competition is an opportunity to play against different teams, and there are no easy matches,”Jorge said during a pre-match press conference yesterday.
Al Shabab arrive on one point and need a result after a 2-0 defeat to Hadramout last time out.
“We must respect the opponent; Al Shabab’s results in the tournament do not reflect their true level,”Jorge said.
Al Rayyan midfielder Tiago Silva said: "The preparations for facing Al Shabab are the same as for every match, and our goal is to win."
"We must earn the three points to top our group," Silva said.
Silva, who left Portuguese side Vit. Guimaraes to join the Qatari club in September, said he is still adapting to Al Rayyan. "I’m still working on adapting more and more, and I aim to help the team achieve its goals," the 32-year-old Portuguese said.
The Emmanuel Alguacil-coached Al Shabab feature the likes of Yannick Carrasco and Carlos Júnior, Unai Hernández, Josh Brownhill, Vincent Sierro and Wesley Hoedt. Domestically, they sit 13th in the Saudi League.
Group B also includes Al Nahda and Tadamun Hadramout and the top two teams advance to two-legged semi-finals.
