Tribune News Network
Doha
Al Sadd continued their dominating run in the Expo Stars League as they thrashed Umm Salal 6-0 to
open up a 4-point lead on top of the table but defending champions Al Duhail suffered a 3-5 defeat at the hands of Al Ahli in the Week 12 games of Expo Stars League on Thursday.
In the first clash at the Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium, Al Duhail were upstaged as goals from Yazan Al Naimat (7th minute), after an own goal from Yousef Ayman (2nd minute), Omar Siku (35th minute) and (80th minute), and Naim Sliti (90th+7 minute) gave Al Ahli the win, while Almoez Ali (31st minute), Ismail Mohammad (45th+5 minute), and Philippe Coutinho (83rd minute) scored for Al Duhail.
Al Ahli now have 12 points while Al Duhail remained on 17 points.
The Brigadiers were gifted the opening goal within the first 62 seconds as Al Duhail’s Yousef Ayman turned a seemingly harmless Sliti’s free kick into his own net.
Five minutes later, Naimat made it two for the visitors after stealing the ball from Al Duhail’s Assim Madibo just outside the box. He then rounded goalkeeper Salah Hassan before releasing a left-footed shot from very close range to the centre of the goal to give Al Ahli a dream start.
Jolted by the turn of event, Al Duhail began making frantic efforts to get back into the game with a more purposeful attack, and Almoez Ali had a couple of attempts blocked before he eventually found the net in the 31st minute with a fine header from very close range following a sublime cross from Ismaeel Mohammad to cut their deficit.
Al Duhail’s happiness at getting back into the game was cut short four minutes later as Al Ahli restored their two-goal advantage with Omar Siku firing home a right-footed shot from the centre of the box after Al Naimat had connected him with a pin-point cross.
Not one to give up easily, Al Duhail kept their cool under pressure as they tried to regain control of the game. Ibrahima Bamba almost scored their second goal in three minutes of added time, but his header went inches wide to the right before Ismail Mohamad got it right a few seconds later, hitting the net with a right-footed shot from the centre of the box after a timely pass from Almoez Ali to reduce the deficit back to one going into half time break.
In the second session, Al Duhail had a couple of chances missed, and they had a penalty call in the 73rd that was eventually overruled after a VAR check.
Al Ahli once again restored their two-goal advantage in the 80th minute with an unmarked Siku securing his brace after getting a brilliant supply from Navid Mohammad Doozandeh to put the ball past goalkeeper Hassan to make it four for The Brigadiers.
Three minutes later, it was the turn of Al Duhail to celebrate, with Coutinho getting their third goal of the night, assisted by Sultan Al Braik.
With the game looking to head to a thrilling draw, Al Ahli once again went two-goal clear in seven minutes of injury time as Sliti secured their fifth goal of the night with a left-footed shot from the left side of the six-yard box to the centre of the goal following another wonderful assist from Doozandeh after a fast counter-attack.
Haydos brace in
super Al Sadd show
In the evening’s late match, Al Sadd swamped Umm Salal 6-0 at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium.
The victory not only saw The Wolves bounce back from their postponed game 0-1 setback against Al Arabi last Sunday (also their only loss of the league this season) but also open up a 4-point lead at the top of rankings with a tally of 31 points going into the league championship’s almost two-month break due to the forthcoming AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023.
Al Sadd displayed superb form scoring their first three goals within 18 minutes and four of the total six in the first half of the match with skipper Hassan Al Haydos scoring a brace.
The goals for Al Sadd were scored by Gonzalo Plata (10th minute), Haydos (14th & 49th minute), Akram Afif (18th minute), Naim Laidouni (Own Goal 43rd minute), and Guilherme Torres (69th minute).
The Wolves could well have scored some more but for some close finishes and off-target shots. Their show was, however a big delight for fans on home turf.
Al Sadd opened the scoring with Baghdad Bounedjah moving into the box to get to a long pass and head it to Afif on the left who returned the ball and Bounedjah this time moved it to Plata on the right to essay a strong left-foot kick into the far left corner. And the excitement for fans had just begun!
Four minutes later, Al Sadd again attacked from the left and Plata picked on a defence header from outside the box was was assisted by Bounedjah with a back flip as he moved left to dash in into the striking zone. Plata then crossed it to an unmarked Haydos on the right to score (2-0).
The star players were again in the act, this time from the right as Plata provided Haydos a pass inside the box and Haydos set it up for an inrushing Afif to do the needful (3-0).
The unrelenting attacks of Al Sadd left a hapless Umm Salal with no scope to defend as they made long passes and bursting moves.
Just before the half time, in one such move Plata stromed in down the left to cross the ball to Afif (running between two defenders) and his kick saw the ball take defender Laidouni’s boot on way into the net (4-0).
Haydos scored for his side soon on resumption, seizing a chance while breaking in from the right. He was then assisted by Bounedjah at the top of the box before captain Haydos moved in to fire the goal (5-0).
The sixth and final strike of the match was provided by Torres who latched on to a pass from Akram from well inside the ‘D’ at the top of the box to send in a cracker of a kick (6-0).
This was Al Sadd’s second win over Umm Salal in the league. They had won the first leg 3-1.
Al Sadd will next meet Al Ahli in Week 13 on February 15 when the Expo Stars League action returns.