Curtains will come down on the 2019-20 season QNB Stars League this weekend. The final-round matches will be played on Thursday and Friday with three games on each day. The Al Janoub and Al Sadd Stadiums will continue to be the venues. The penultimate round of the QNB Stars League saw the return of fans as wins for Al Duhail and Al Rayyan meant the title would only be decided in the final round of matches on Friday. League pacesetters Al Duhail edged Al Khor 1-0 thanks to a ninth minute goal from Abdullah al-Ahrak while Brazilian forward Edmilson Junior missed a penalty nine minutes later.
Al Rayyan also registered a 1-0 win against Al Shahaniya, with Algerian forward Yacine Brahimi scoring the winner from the penalty spot in the 84th minute. Al Duhail are on 49 points with Al Rayyan one behind. Al Duhail face Al Ahli on Friday with Al Rayyan playing Al Wakrah.
Outgoing champions Al Sadd confirmed third place with a 1-0 win over Qatar SC, with Baghdad Bounedjah scoring the winner in the eighth minute of second half added time.
There will be simultaneous kick-offs on both days. The matches are sure to be electrifying as neither the champions nor the team that gets relegated and the side which goes into play-off are determined.
Only two positions have been confirmed in the standings, with reigning champions Al Sadd settling for the third spot with 44 points and Al Gharafa ensuring fourth place with 35 points. Al Sadd and Al Gharafa will kick off the proceedings by facing each other.
The battle for the title is between leaders Al Duhail (49 points) and Al Rayyan (48). Most focus will be on Al Duhail vs Al Ahli and Al Wakrah vs Al Rayyan encounters as the crowning of new champions will be held at either of these matches. Al Ahli are placed eighth with 20 points and Al Wakrah sixth with 27 points. The team that ends up at the bottom will directly get relegated, while the 11th-placed side go into play-off with Second Division runners-up for a berth in the top flight.
It may be noted that Al Kharaitiyat, who became the Second Division champions last week, have directly qualified for next season’s top flight. Four teams – Qatar SC (ninth with 19 points), Umm Salal (17), Al Khor (16) and Al Shahania (15) – are involved in the fight to avoid either relegation or play-off.
Qatar SC face Al Arabi (seventh with 25 points), Umm Salal run into Al Sailiya (fifth with 28 points) and Al Khor meet Al Shahania in other action.
from Gulf Times https://ift.tt/3kTO5Cv
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