DOHA : Al-Duhail will host UAE side Sharjah FC at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium on Tuesday in the seventh and penultimate round of the AFC Champions League Elite league stage, with both teams chasing a place in the round of 16.
The Qatari club head into the match needing victory to boost their qualification hopes after a surprise 2-1 away defeat to Iran’s Tractor in the previous round. That loss halted momentum built from back-to-back wins earlier in the competition, when Al-Duhail beat Shabab Al-Ahli of the UAE 4-1 and Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ittihad 4-2 to move onto seven points and seventh place in the standings.
Al-Duhail’s preparations have been complicated by a dip in domestic form. They suffered a 2-1 loss to Umm Salal in the 15th round of the Qatar Stars League, finishing the match with nine players after two dismissals. The defeat left them eighth in the league on 20 points.
Sharjah arrive in Doha level on points with Al-Duhail but one place lower in eighth due to an inferior goal difference. The Emirati side will also be targeting victory as they look to take a significant step towards securing qualification for the knockout stage.
