DOHA: Lekhwiya coach Eric Gerets expressed surprise after his side nearly lost to lowly Al Sailiyah in their opening game of the new Qatar Stars League (QSL) season. Al Sailiyah conceded a late goal against former champions Lekhwiya to end their first match with a 3-3 card. "We could have lost this match," Gerets said after the game on Friday. We were brave enough to get the equaliser," he added. "It was a surprising to see them play so well," he added. "We have dropped points and now we have to correct our mistakes ahead of the next clash," the Belgian said. "We need at least two more matches to hit our straps. The more we play, the better we will get," the coach explained. "We scored three goals so that's good," he said. Lekhwiya bagged the QSL title for two successive years before they were dethroned by Al Sadd last season.