Doha: Al Sadd coach Sergio Alegre confirmed his squad's readiness for Saturday's Round 8 face-off against Al Arabi at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium. Speaking to media, Al Sadd coach said: "The upcoming match against Al Arabi will be very difficult. They have a new coaching staff and although their start to the season hasn't been very good, they have distinguished players, both foreign and local professionals."

According to Qatar News Agency, Al Sadd is eager to close the gap at the top of the Qatar Stars League table. "It's a tough match and we must be fully prepared to win. Our goal is to be as close as possible to the top of the table, and that is our main objective this season," said Sergio Allegri.

Al Arabi coach Cosmin Contra expressed optimism about the upcoming challenge. "I am very happy to be joining the Al Arabi coaching team. Yes, the team is going through a difficult period, but I believe we are capable of overcoming it and moving forward to achieve the best results," noted Cosmin.

Al Sadd is currently in seventh place in the league table with 8 points, trailing sixth-placed Al Duhail on goal difference. Meanwhile, Al Arabi is in eleventh place with 4 points, just one ahead of bottom-ranked Al Sailiya.