Al Sadd returned to winning ways in emphatic fashion, thrashing Al Shahania 4-0 in the Qatar Stars League at Khalifa International Stadium on Thursday to move to the top of the standings.
Akram Afif scored twice, in the 21st and 51st minutes, while Roberto Firmino and Mostafa Tarek Meshal added a goal each as the defending champions bounced back from successive league defeats against Al Arabi and Al Duhail.
The victory lifted Sadd to 15 points, one ahead of Al Rayyan, who can reclaim the lead if they beat Al Sailiya on Friday. Sadd had entered the game under pressure after their recent domestic setbacks were compounded by defeats to Esteghlal and Al Hilal in the AFC Champions League Elite.
Coach Razvan Lucescu had called for a strong response from his players ahead of the match, and Sadd delivered with an assured attacking display.
Afif opened the scoring in the 21st minute, collecting a pass from Giovani Henrique before beating a defender and the goalkeeper to put Sadd ahead. The champions doubled their advantage seven minutes later when Giovani produced a fine back pass from inside the penalty area for Firmino, who calmly slotted the ball into the bottom-left corner.
Shahania had an opportunity to reduce the deficit in the 30th minute after Sadd goalkeeper Meshaal Barsham made an error that presented the ball to Abdoulaye Traore. However, Traore failed to capitalise, shooting over the bar.
Sadd maintained their dominance after the break, with Afif finding the net again in the 51st minute to make it 3-0. Meshal completed the rout in the 70th minute, reacting quickest to a rebound after the Shahania goalkeeper had blocked an initial effort.
The result was a timely boost for Sadd as they seek to regain momentum in the title race, while Shahania, who are placed eighth in the standings, were left to reflect on another disappointing outing after their 6-0 defeat to Al Arabi in the previous round.
Ahli fight back to hold Gharafa
Meanwhile, Al Ahli staged a spirited second-half comeback to draw 2-2 with Al Gharafa at Thani Bin Jassim Stadium.
Gharafa looked on course for victory after taking a two-goal lead in the first half. Seydou Sano opened the scoring in the 13th minute, finishing a move set up by Ismael Bennacer, before Yacine Brahimi doubled the advantage in the 36th minute with a well-worked finish from Adam Ounas's pass.
Al Ahli responded after the interval, with Erik Exposito pulling one back in the 52nd minute following an assist from Naim Sliti. The visitors continued to press for an equaliser and were rewarded deep into stoppage time when Sliti struck in the 90+3rd minute, converting a pass from Luiz Ceara to rescue a point.
Al Ahli enjoyed 63 percent possession and registered 25 shots to Gharafa's 17, with both teams creating five big chances. The draw took Al Ahli seventh place with eight points, while Gharafa are 10th with six points after seven matches.
Rayyan look to reclaim top spot against Sailiya
Meanwhile, Al Rayyan will aim to return to winning ways and reclaim the Qatar Stars League lead when they face Al Sailiya at Suhaim Bin Hamad Stadium on Friday.
Rayyan missed the opportunity to extend their advantage in the previous round after being held to a goalless draw by Al Gharafa despite creating several scoring chances. Their task has become more pressing after defending champions Al Sadd moved to the top with a 4-0 victory over Al Shahania.
Coach Vicente Moreno stressed the importance of securing victory but warned his players against underestimating Sailiya, who remain bottom of the standings.
“We have all respect for Al Sailiya team regardless of its position in the standings, as every match has its own different circumstances,” Moreno said. “Our goal is to achieve victory and maintain our lead in the league, and I have complete confidence in all the players to give their best.”
Moreno acknowledged that his team would face a difficult challenge, pointing to Sailiya's quality and the added motivation opponents bring when facing the league leaders.
“We need to win to maintain our lead, and we know that tomorrow's match will certainly be very difficult for us, for various reasons. They have good players and a very distinguished coach. In addition, as usual, all the teams that play against us go into the match with great motivation and incentives,” he said.
Sailiya will take confidence from their 2-2 draw against Qatar SC in the previous round, when they fought back from two goals down to claim their first point of the season. They will hope to build on that result, although they face a formidable challenge against a Rayyan side determined to stay in the title race.
Remaining Fixtures
On Friday: Al Shamal vs Qatar SC at Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium | 5:30pm; Al Sailiya vs Al Rayyan at Suhaim Bin Hamad Stadium | 7:45pm
On Saturday: Al Wakrah vs Al Arabi at Khalifa International Stadium | 5:30pm; Al Duhail vs Lusail at Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium | 7:45pm
