Duhail reclaim top spot after thrilling win over Ahli

Title contenders Al Duhail staged a fine comeback to secure a thrilling 4-2 win over Al Ahli in the Qatar Stars League at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium on Saturday.
The result took Duhail back to the top of the leaderboard with 41 points, a slender one-point ahead of defending champions Al Sadd, while Al Ahli remained in fourth place with a tally of 29 points.
Three of Al Duhail’s four goals came late in the second half with Michael Olunga (74th minute), Hakim Ziyech (82nd minute) and Benjamin Bourigeaud (90+2 minute) finding the net.
Earlier in the first half, it was the double whammy of Ahli’s German star and attacking midfielder Julian Draxler who struck successively in the 38th and 42nd minutes that saw The Brigadiers hit back after Duhail had taken the lead in the 26th minute through Lucas Verissimo De Silva.
The Red Knights were initially kept at bay by alert Ahli. Unable to make a breakthrough, Duhail aimed to forcing things and in the 25th minute Olunga, after being in the clear, attempted a big strike but the ball sailed over the crossbar.
The very next minute, Duhail took advantage of a corner kick and Almoez Ali made a header but it was blocked by Al Ahli goalkeeper Marwan Sherif Badreldin but the ball fell in front in an open space and De Silva kicked the ball in with his right foot. Ahli hit back twelve minutes later on a counter as Eric Exposito sent in a cross from the right, over defenders, for a rushing-in Draxler to beat the goalkeeper to his right at the far end for the equaliser.
Draxler repeated the act, this time after being fed with a long ball from the centre line and he beat past two defenders and the goalkeeper to his right with a left-foot strike (2-1).
The second session was a long tussle before Duhail broke the shackles giving their rivals a taste of their own medicine as Edmilson Junior provided Olunga with a fine lob to make a successful header (2-2).
Soon Duhail were back in the lead through their Dutch-born Moroccan star Ziyech who piled through the wall to shake the next on the left (3-2). The Red Knights added one more to the tally with Bourigeaud slamming in a left-footed drive into the left corner for a thrilling 4-2 finish.
Meanwhile, Rodri struck a late winner as Al Arabi edged Al Shamal 1-0 at the Al Thumama Stadium. Shamal had to play with 10 men nearly all of second half after Mohammed Musa was shown a red card in the 48th minute. And Arabi finally found a way to score past resilient Shamal as Rodri volleyed in with his left foot in the fourth minute of stoppage time. Arabi are now eighth in the table, while Shamal are sixth.
In the other game of the night, Qatar SC drew with Al Wakrah 1-1 at the Stadium 974. Wakrah took the lead after Ayman Hussein struck in the 45+3 minute. Qatar SC had to wait till the 88th minute as Ataa Mohammed slotted home. With this result, Wakrah are in ninth place, while Qatar SC are a place below.