Xavi: We are favourites on paper only against Umm Salal

Al-Sadd head coach Xavi Hernandez spoke of the importance of his players remaining “focused”, ahead of the upcoming QNB Stars League Round 4 clash with Umm Salal.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference on Thursday, Xavi said: “I am a little worried about the game against Umm Salal, especially as we are coming from a great win over Al Nassr (in the AFC Champions League). I have asked the players to not relax and instead remain focused and have a winning mentality.”

He added: “Umm Salal played a great game against Al-Rayyan and they have excellent attackers like Sagbo, Al-Mawas and Vasquez. So, it will be a tough game. We are only favourites on paper. We must perform well on the pitch in order to get the win.”

Asked about the pressure of having to play back-to-back games, Xavi said: “We know the league schedule since the start of the season and we have prepared for it well. As you see on the pitch, Al-Sadd players are in good coniditon, physically and technically.”

“I am happy to play these many matches as we are winning and we are going from one level to the next.”

Xavi also praised Al-Sadd’s performance in their last game against Al-Nassr. “I was pleased with the the players’ performance and we were better than Al-Nassr in all aspects.”

Finally, he said: “The Qatari league is moving ahead on the correct path, with the arrival of excellent coaches – this helps Qatari football and serves the interests of the national team, which is impressing under the guidance of Felix Sanchez. The league has improved greatly in the past few years.”