Al Duhail Head Coach Christophe Galtier confirmed that the match versus Al Arabi tomorrow evening, Monday, will be difficult because we will face the Amir Cup defending champions. The coach said in the pre-match press conference held at 11:00 am today in the press conference hall at Al Sadd Club: “We will face an excellent team, the defending champions and the champions of the last edition, which includes a number of good players, but we will focus on physical preparation and work to qualify for the semifinal round.”

The coach added: “Cup matches have their own characteristics and there is no room for compensation, and the chances are equal between all teams. Through my follow-up of Al Arabi previous match versus Al Sailiya, I found an exciting and strong match and there was great competition.”

He continued, “Our matches versus Al Arabi in the league were strong, and in the last match we were ahead, but Al Arabi equalized in the last minutes. During the past period, we worked diligently with the players to address the individual mistakes that appear in the defense line. In cup matches, whoever concieves goals faces difficult task to qualify to the advanced stages.”

Commenting on the strength of the opponent, Galtier said: “Al Arabi has a group of players with good levels, whether locals or professionals, such as Rafinha and Verrati, and we will witness a special confrontation between the Diallo brothers during the match.”

The coach concluded: “As the coach of the team, I bear all the results, whether negative or positive, and I am ready to bear all the decisions of the club’s management. I am always talking to the management to discuss ways to develop the team.”