Xavi: This will be a huge derby game, we will fight for the title until the last round

Al-Sadd head coach Xavi Hernandez spoke about the difficulty of his side’s upcoming QNB Stars League Round 16 clash against Al-Arabi, which will be played on Thursday evening at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium.

Speaking at the press conference ahead of the match, Xavi said: “Tomorrow’s match is like a final and we still have 7 games remaining, all finals, since now we cannot lose any points. Unfortunately the league title does not depend on what we do, but on the results of others. We are showing a good level currently and we strive to develop further.”

The Al-Sadd coach added: “We are up against a derby match against the physically strong Al Arabi side, whose level has improved a lot in the recent period. At Al Sadd, we are ready and we will fight until the end of the season to win the league title.”

Regarding the injuries that hit the team in the recent period, Xavi said: “We have injuries and suspensions, but these are not excuses for us and we will make the utmost effort in all the tournaments, domestic and abroad, as we want to compete for all titles.”

He continued: “We have the derby match against Al-Arabi, then we will face Al-Ain and then we have the Clasico against Al-Rayyan. We are capable of winning all the matches, and we are awaiting a slip-up from Al Rayyan and Al Duhail in the upcoming games.”

Regarding Abdulkarim Hassan’s performances with the team, the Spanish coach said: “Abdulkarim Hassan is one of the best players in the Middle East and he is an excellent player with good character and a great level of play. He is still young and I think he will be able to overcome all challenges. I am happy with his training and we missed him a lot during his absence from the team.”

Xavi concluded by saying: “We always think about winning and on their day, my players will produce a big game. Focus is the secret of the players’ success.”