Al Rayyan overcame a late scare to defeat Al Kharaitiyat 4-2 at the Al Sadd Stadium in Week 13 of the QNB Stars League yesterday, while Al Sadd cruised to an imperious 6-0 victory against top-four opponents Al Sailiya.
For Rayyan, goals from Rodrigo Tabata in the 30th minute, followed by Mohsine Moutaouali (38th), Mousa Haroun (45th) and Abderrazzaq Hamdallah (90+2) were enough to clinch the win for the home side.
Al Kharaitiyat scored through Rachid Tiberkanine (50th) and Mahmoud Abdelhalim (81st). The Lions got off to a dominant start with plenty of possession and attacking play to put their opponents under a wave of pressure. Having had a number of chances, it was captain Tabata who broke the deadlock with an expertly-taken free-kick.
He curled it up and over the wall, and beyond the outstretched goalkeeper who could only palm it into the back of the net. Shortly after, Hamdallah saw his deflected free-kick parried into the path of Moutaouali who smashed it home for their second of the night. On the stroke of half-time, Moutaouli then became provider as his perfect cross found Haroun in the box to head home.
Early in the second half, The Thunders got themselves back in the game following some good work by Abdulaziz al-Ansari. His right-footed shot was saved, but Rachid was on hand to gobble up the rebound and bag his eighth goal of the season.
They soon put the home side under real pressure when Abdelhalim’s cross shot was completely misjudged by goalkeeper Omar Barry. Al Rayyan rounded off the scoring in injury time through Hamdallah, who tapped in from Tabata’s pass.
Meanwhile, Al Sadd were in the mood yesterday as goals from Jugurtha Hamroun (32nd and 37th minutes), Hamed Ismail (64th), Hassan al-Haydous (66th and 80th-min penalty) and Ali Asad (68th) gave them an impressive win over Al Sailiya.  In a one-sided encounter, it did not take long for hosts Al Sadd to get on the score sheet, with Xavi Hernandez spreading the ball wide to Al Asad who squared it to Hamroun and he finished with ease.
Minutes later, it was 2-0 as Xavi again was involved. His lofted pass was chased down by Hamroun before rounding the keeper and passing into an empty net. The Wolves were even more emphatic in the second half with three goals in five minutes. First, Hamed hammered home from just inside the area, then al-Haydous got on the scoresheet as he finished off a neat move with a powerful drive and Asad made it 5-0 with a header.
George Semakor was then sent off for a handball on the line and al-Haydous stepped up to convert the penalty. The result proved Al Sadd are serious title contenders, leaving them closer to the first position on 31 points.
Meanwhile, Al Sailiya’s top-four ambitions hang in the balance as the large loss meant they suffered a great blow to their goal difference.
In another match of the day, Dutch star Wesley Sneijder scored his first goal for former champions Al Gharafa who fought off a spirited Umm Salal for a 4-2 win at Al Gharafa Stadium.
Al Gharafa rarely looked in trouble after goals by Ahmed Alaaeldin (32nd minute), Othman al-Yahiri (45th) and Sneijder (61st). Umm Salal substitutes Yannick Sagbo (69th) and Ibrahima Nadiya (81st) scored in the second half to raise visions of a draw, but a late strike by Amro Seraj (90+4) sealed the win for Al Gharafa.
It was Al Gharafa’s only fourth win of the season, but second in succession after Sneijder joined them. Umm Salal, despite the fightback, could not add to their five wins in the season.
Al Gharafa jumped ahead, thanks to some quick thinking by Alaaeldin. Fresh from scoring a brace in their previous clash, the forward lunged forward to head home a low cross from Othman on the right flank.
In first-half injury time, Alaaeldin, following a neat dribble near the Umm Salal box, spotted Othman just a few metres away. After intercepting the cross, he charged into the box and then quickly slotted the ball past goalkeeper Baba Malick.
Sneijder scored his first goal for his new employers as he drilled one into the net from the edge of the Umm Salal box following a cross from the flank.
Umm Salal reduced the deficit when Sagbo converted a penalty kick before Nadiya found the net from close after a cross from Mahmoud Kamal. Seraj flicked an easy ball into an empty net in stoppage time for Al Gharafa’s 4th goal.


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