QSL Round-up: Arabi win Lusail clash as Al Sadd and Al Duhail continue to struggle
Four hard-fought draws, two closely-contested wins, and the first official match in World Cup-final hosting stadium.
QNB Stars League’s second week was an eventful one for all the right reasons. With this season promising to be unique in itself due to the unavailability of Qatari national team players, the results followed a similar course. Al Markhiya continued to impress after the climb to the top tier while both Al Sadd and Al Duhail stood winless with their depleted squads.
Here’s a brief overview from a game week that saw Al Arabi lead the table, Al Rayyan slip to the bottom without a point, and more.
Al Sadd continue winless stint under Juanma Lillo
Defending champions Al Sadd will have to wait at least another game week for a win after Umm Salal put up a resilient performance to extract a draw.
The Barzan’s Falcons took the lead in the dying minutes of the first half, against the run of play, through Joao Carlos Teixeira. The former Liverpool midfielder headed in a cross from Umm Salal’s skipper Kodija, who made a bolstering run past the Al Sadd defense from the right.
The Wolves, on the other hand, looked rustic in converting chances from the kick-off. Despite having a man’s advantage from the 18th minute, following Abdulla Khafifi’s sending off, Al Sadd had to wait until the 63rd minute to level the score. Juanma Lillo’s side had to depend on Baghdad Bounedjah’s services for a breakthrough, who pulled off a sumptuous finish from outside the box to leave Sami Habib without an answer despite a full-stretch dive towards the far post.
Both Al Sadd and Umm Salal now have a point each and are placed on the 8th and 9th position respectively. Al Sadd have dropped five points in their two games this season, one more than they did during the entirety of last season.
Newly promoted Markhiya continue strong start
Ayman Hussein’s 57th-minute strike ensured the continuation of Al Markhiya’s strong start in the top division as the promoted sides drew 1-1 against Qatar SC. The Iraqi forward’s third goal of the season came as a powerful header, leaping away from his marker before meeting a cross from the wide right.
Prior to that, Badr Benoun scored in his QSL debut from the penalty spot to give Qatar SC the lead in the added minutes of the first half. The Moroccan defender was also vital in securing a point for the Al Dafna-based side as Markhiya kept the pressure on for the rest of the match. A send-off in the dying minutes was not significant for either side, as Markhiya finished with a man down on the pitch.
Al Markhiya now sit third on the table with four points behind Al Arabi and Al Wakrah, whereas Qatar SC’s point puts them only ahead of Al Rayyan.
Dala ensures a point for Al Wakrah as Brahimi makes Al Gharafa debut
A goal in each half saw Al Gharafa and Al Wakrah share points at the Khalifa Stadium on Wednesday. The third one-square draw of the game week was marked by a first-half strike from Islom Tukhtakhujaev in the 39th minute, followed by Gelson Dala’s goal within three minutes of the second half.
On a night where superstar signing Yacine Brahimi made his debut for the Cheetahs, it was the other summer signing that made his mark on the game. Tintin Marquez’s side, on the other hand, created more chances in front of the goal, yet were neutralized on several occasions by Gharafa’s 36-year-old shot-stopper Qasem Burhan.
Both Al Gharafa and Al Wakrah have now collected four points going into the third round. Al Wakrah will face Umm Salal on Monday, whereas Al Gharafa will lock horns against Al Shamal for their third fixture of the season.
Al Sailiya register first win as Al Shamal fail to capitalize
Mohamed El-Sayed’s early strike went in vain as Al Sailiya came from behind to register their first win of the season on Wednesday. Greek winger Giannis Fetfatzidis’ equalizer in 15th minute, followed by a 68th-minute winner from Swedish striker Carlos Strandberg paved the comeback for Al Sailiya, who began their campaign with a 2-1 loss against Al Gharafa.
On the other hand, Al Shamal were not clinical enough to build on their on-ball dominance. Hishame Zahid’s side fared well in the opening minutes at the Education City stadium, but the lack of stability at the back saw them slump as the game progressed.
Al Duhail’s woes continue despite an improved performance
If it was not for Hossein Kanaani’s 90th-minute penalty, Al Duhail would have walked out as winners at the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium on Thursday. Hernan Crespo’s side clearly felt the tremors of an opening day loss against Al Wakrah and the absence of Qatar national team players and it took a special display from Edmilson Junior off the bench in the second half to improve.
While both sides saw their first-half goals being disallowed after VAR reviews, Al Duhail came close to scoring on multiple occasions. Following a goal-line clearance and a shot off the post, Edmilson Junior’s run was capitalized by Nasser Al Yazidi to give the 2021/22 runners-up the lead in the 79th minute.
Al Ahli now sit in the fifth position with a win and a draw, whereas Al Duhail are winless going into the clash against Al Rayyan.
Al Arabi win Lusail opener as Al Rayyan struggle at the bottom
In a derby that saw around 15,000 fans turn up at the Lusail Stadium for the World Cup final venue’s first official game, Al Arabi defeated Al Rayyan 2-1 to climb to the top of the table. Al Arabi built their win on Youssef Msakni’s 12th-minute finish from a tight angle and Mehrdad Mohammadi’s penalty in the 64th minute.
Yohan Boli’s 78th-minute strike meant Al Rayyan were looking to go all out. A disallowed goal followed by Steven Nzonzi’s header off the post in the first half, and a revoked penalty decision in the second half ensured Al Arabi walked out victorious in an eventful fixture.
While Syrian forward Omar Al Somah made his debut for Al Arabi following a loan move from Saudi side Al Ahli, Al Rayyan’s James Rodriguez was not available due to an injury.
Al Rayyan, under Nicolas Cordova, are pointless so far and will face the challenges of Al Duhail next week.
