Al-Sadd head coach Xavi spoke of the difficulty of his side’s upcoming clash with Al-Duhail in the semifinals of the Amir Cup 2020, describing it as “a complicated game”. The match is set to be played on Saturday at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Xavi said: “We got a two-day break, which is the players deserved, especially after they made a great effort in the last period.”
He went on: “The Amir Cup is a different competition. We are in the semi-finals and we consider this a final against a strong and difficult Al-Duhail team. We have faced them a lot and we will give our best, especially as they will look for revenge after losing to us last week in the league.”
Xavi added: “It will be a complicated match. We must play with a strong personality in order to win this tournament, which is dear to everyone in Qatar.”
Asked about the best way in which Al-Sadd can face Al-Duhail in the match, Xavi said: “Our goal is to repeat the performance that we showed in the last ten days in the league. Our focus will be on attack and possession, and in this way, Al-Duhail will suffer against us on the pitch. We must play our way and I am happy with what the team has shown in the last two matches against Al-Ahli and Al-Duhail, which are among our best matches in the recent period.”
Xavi added, “This competition is completely different and everyone knows that Al-Duhail is a difficult team and we are ready to face them and achieve victory, and we do not fear anyone.”
As for his expectation of the changes Al-Duhail team will make in the next match, the Al-Sadd coach said: “I focus on my team only, but in football when you lose, you must make changes and this is what we did in the past, so I expect different things from Al-Duhail in the next match. Al-Duhail’s coach needs some time to adapt to the team, especially as he has been with the team for two weeks only.”
He added: “Al Sadd players must focus and work on achieving their mission, which is to reach the final.”
Xavi concluded by saying: “Our ambition in this competition is to win the title. We are Al Sadd and we are one of the favourites to win the championship and we are preparing to face another favourite, and we see this match as the final. We have to win in order to get the trophy that’s most precious to the club, the players and the fans. We must play with all our strength and more, to achieve this title.”
