Xavi: Al-Sadd ready to defeat Al-Sailiya

Al-Sadd head coach Xavi Hernandez addressed the media ahead of the postponed QNB Stars League Round 3 game against Al-Sailiya, which is scheduled to be played on Tuesday at Al-Janoub Stadium.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Xavi said: “We are prepared for tomorrow’s game. Al-Sailiya is a good team with a lot of experience in the league. They have been performing well and playing in many different ways, because they have an excellent and intelligent coach.”

He added: “We are the favourites and we are stronger than them, and we need to show this strength on the pitch. Al-Sadd are going through a good phase. I am happy with the performance of all the players. We require all the players because there are important tournaments we have to win – the Champions League and QSL.”

As for the postponement of Al-Sadd’s game against Al-Arabi, Xavi said: “I want to thank the federation for postponing this game because we have many games in this period. This postponement is good for us and I don’t think it will hurt Al-Arabi. We are representing Qatar and we need rest. We face a strong opponent – Al Hilal – in the Champions League. And so, I want to thank the federation for their good gesture.”

“Al-Sailiya are an organised team, especially in defence. We will try to impose our identity so that we don’t face any difficulty. If we want to win the league, we need to win all the games.”

Xavi concluded by saying: “There is a lot of pressure on us. We welcome this pressure and we know how to deal with it and fulfil our objectives at home and in Asia. If we defeat Al-Sailiya, we will be on top of the league and this will be a motivation for us to continue winning.”