A 2-0 victory in Doha last time out saw Kwid's side open up a three-point gap over their nearest rivals but the Al Karama chief insisted he would not be taking the Qatar Crown Prince Cup champions lightly in the return game at the Khaled Ibn Al Waleed Stadium.

"We must be cautious especially at the beginning of the game," he said.

"Our target is not to lose in order to remain top of the standings and maintain the gap to our closest opponents. Controlling midfield will be key to winning the match.

"We are facing a strong team and they can produce a similar result against us to the one we had."

Al Sadd boss Hassan Harmatallah, meanwhile, believes his side can come away from Syria with the three points they need to boost hopes of a place in the knockout stage despite being without striker and former AFC Player of the Year Khalfan Ibrahim Khalfan due to injury,

"We are confident we can beat Al Karama in front of their own fans and go back to Doha with three crucial points," he said.

"We have no other option but to beat Al Karama. We have a plan for the match and hopefully the players can carry it out."

Al Wahda and Al Ahli clash at the Al Nahyan Stadium in the UAE with both sides teetering on the brink of elimination after a goalless draw in Jeddah a fortnight ago.

A recent 6-1 thumping by Al Shabab in the Saudi Champions Cup was hardly ideal preparation for Al Ahli, who are missing the suspended Leandro Silva after the Brazilian defender was sent-off in the last game against Al Wahda.

But caretaker boss Yousuf Anbar believes his side are capable of edging out their opponents.

"It is a difficult match but the pressure will be on Al Wahda when they play in front of their home fans," he said,

"So I think we have a good chance of coming out winners but I don't think there is much to choose between the two teams."

Al Wahda have experienced an equally torrid time of late, having not tasted victory in 10 games and are three places off the bottom of the UAE League.

They will also be without key defenders Basheer Saeed, who is still sidelined with a leg problem, and the suspended Omar Ali.

But caretaker coach Ahmed Abdulhalim is convinced better times are just around the corner.

"We just need to win one game and things will improve," he said.

"And this is a game we must win.

"We are facing a team with similar problems and hopefully we can end this long and frustrating run without a win.

"We are not playing badly but the results have been very disappointing."