Elite Asia Spotlight: Qatari Clubs Seek Redemption as Al Hilal Aims for a Fourth Straight Win

Overview

The Qatari clubs Al Sadd, Al Graffa, and Al Duhail seek to rebound as they enter the fourth round of the West Asia group in the AFC Elite Champions League, while Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal aims for a fourth straight win.

Currently the group leader is two points ahead of his fellow Saudi Al Ahli, the defending champions, and ahead of Shabab Al Ahli Dubai and Al Wahda of the UAE.

Round 4 Matchups and Round 3 Recap

In the upcoming round, all four teams go on the road: Al Hilal vs Al Graffa (8th), Al Ahli vs Al Sadd (9th), Shabab Al Ahli vs Al Duhail (10th), Al Wahda vs Nasaf (12th, bottom with zero points).

In Round 3, the Qatari clubs all tasted defeat: Al Graffa were beaten 0-4 by Al Ahli; Al Sadd lost 1-3 to Al Hilal; Al Duhail were defeated 4-1 by Al Wahda. Only Al Sadd and Al Duhail have yet to win, alongside Al Shorta and Nasaf.

The anticipation of a fourth consecutive win for Al Hilal grows as they seek to maintain a perfect start across competitions.

Al Graffa, under Portuguese coach Pedro Martins, enters the match buoyed by domestic league leadership after wins over Al Duhail and Al Ahli, both by 3-1, in the lead-up fixtures.

Martins said: Two wins restore confidence before a big continental test against a tough opponent; we must maintain the same level and avoid mistakes.

Meanwhile, Al Hilal aims to confirm their ideal start and secure a ninth successive victory in all competitions.

They have been impressive across tournaments, with eight straight wins, the latest a 1-0 victory over derby rivals Al Shabab in the Saudi league last Friday.

First continental win for Al Sadd? Al Sadd hope to claim their first continental win of the season when they host Al Ahli at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium on Tuesday.

Al Sadd had only two points from the first three games, drawing with Al Shorta and Sharjah 1-1, but a 5-1 domestic league win over Al Rayyan revived spirits, ending a seven-match winless run in domestic and continental competition.

Akram Afif said: Sadd is back. We showed a different face against Al Rayyan and broke a tough run that did not do justice to us or our club's traditions.

He added: The truth is our situation in the Asian competition is tough, and we must deliver our best in what is a decisive match against Al Ahli, hoping it becomes a turning point for our continental campaign, just as the Rayyan game was domestically.

He continued: We know what we must do against the opponent, but the fans must stand behind us and support us to secure the three points.

Al Ahli also seeks another win to regain momentum after dipping in domestic form, but the campaign remains under pressure.

Duhail remain under heavy pressure ahead of Monday's clash with Shabab Al Ahli Dubai after disappointing results locally and continentally.

Duhail have only one point from a 2-2 draw with Al Ahli Jeddah; their domestic form worsened with a 3-1 loss to Al Graffa, increasing pressure on coach Djamel Belmadi.

Belmadi said: I said the previous loss to Al Wahda raises concerns, especially in technical areas; despite a good display against Al Shamal (2-0), we reverted to errors against Al Graffa.

He added: The upcoming match is a test to prove we are still in the continental race; we will do our best to win, we desperately need it to restore confidence.

Duhail's task won't be easy against a rival riding high after a 4-1 win over Nasaf, seeking another win to boost chances of advancing to the last-16.

Additionally, the UAE double-winners last season, with momentum from a 2-0 win over Sharjah last Thursday in the domestic league, and having reached the domestic cup quarterfinals, will be seeking to translate domestic form to Asia.

Shabab Al Ahli regained attacking balance in matches against Nasaf and Sharjah, after scoring only four goals in their first six league games.

Coach Paulo Sousa said: Since the start of the season we have been working on solving the problem of missed chances, doing extra finishing drills, and boosting the forwards' confidence; I am sure the attacking output will improve in the coming matches.

Al Ittihad look to continue their revival as they host Sharjah on Tuesday.

After losing their first two games to Al Wahda and Shabab Al Ahli, Al Ittihad recorded a 4-0 win over Al Shorta and hope to keep winning to secure a top-four finish.

Al Ittihad sit seventh with three points, one behind Sharjah in sixth.

Sharjah will look to rebound from their historic 0-5 home loss to Tractor Sazi in the previous round.

Defending last year’s AFC Champions League 2 champions are also struggling domestically, sitting 11th with seven points after seven rounds.

Al Wahda expect an easier assignment on paper when they host Nasaf, the Uzbek side who have lost all three of their matches.

Al Wahda hope to extend their unbeaten run to 25 matches across all competitions.

Al Shorta aim to secure their first continental win of the season as they visit Tractor on Monday.

Al Shorta have one point from a 1-1 draw with Al Sadd, before losing 0-2 to Al Graffa and 1-4 to Al Ittihad.

Punchline time: If this group were a movie, the plot twists would need a rewatch—the ball keeps finding new ways to bounce. And my bracket is so confused, it filed for a vacation to the knockout rounds.