Al Sadd stormed to the top of the Qatar Stars League with a commanding 4-1 victory over 10-man Al Shamal at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium on Friday, keeping them firmly in their bid for a fourth consecutive title.
The defending champions took full advantage of their numerical superiority after the break, scoring three goals to seal a convincing win and move one point clear of Al Rayyan, who face Al Arabi at Al Thumama Stadium on Saturday.
Giovani Henrique gave Sadd an early lead in the 11th minute before Al Shamal suffered a major setback when Mohamed Ben Romdhane was sent off for violent conduct in the 45th minute. Despite being reduced to 10 men, Shamal managed to draw level in first-half stoppage time through Riyad Mahrez, who converted a penalty to give his side renewed hope.
However, Sadd took control after the interval. Mohamed Camara restored the champions' lead in the 62nd minute before Qatar international Akram Afif extended their advantage six minutes later. Former Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino completed the scoring in the 80th minute to seal Sadd's sixth victory in eight league matches.
The result lifted Sadd to 18 points, one ahead of second-placed Rayyan, who have a game in hand. Al Duhail are third with 15 points, while Arabi occupy fourth place on 12 points ahead of their meeting with the league leaders.
Sadd entered the match looking to build on their 4-0 victory over Al Shahaniya last week after suffering two successive league defeats. They had also earned their first point in the AFC Champions League Elite with a 1-1 draw against Saudi Arabia's Al Qadsiah.
Shamal, meanwhile, were hoping to carry their impressive 3-1 victory over Saudi giants Al Hilal in the continental competition into the domestic league. However, the defeat left David Prats' side on nine points in eighth place after a fourth consecutive league match without a win.
Earlier, Al Gharafa beat Qatar SC 2-0 at Thani Bin Jassim Stadium, with Yacine Brahimi scoring twice in the closing stages.
After a goalless first half, the Algerian midfielder broke the deadlock in the 74th minute with a long-range effort following a pass from Dame Traore. He sealed the victory in the 88th minute, dribbling past Nasir Peer Baksh inside the box before beating the goalkeeper.
The win took Al Gharafa to seventh place with nine points, while Qatar SC remained on six after suffering their fourth defeat of the season.
At Al Khor Stadium, Al Ahli edged Al Shahania 2-1 to claim their third league victory and move to 11 points. Ghanem al-Minhali put Al Ahli ahead in the 57th minute with a powerful strike from inside the box. Al Shahania appeared to have rescued a point when Abdoulaye Traore equalised in the 85th minute, but their hopes were dashed two minutes later.
Driss Fettouhi restored Al Ahli's lead in the 87th minute, turning in a floating assist from Benjamin Bourigeaud to secure all three points. The victory was Al Ahli's first under returning head coach Nebojsa Jovovic, who previously coached the club from 2019 to 2023.
The eighth round continues On Saturday, with leaders Al Sadd now watching closely as Rayyan seek to reclaim top spot against Arabi at Al Thumama Stadium. Al Sailiya face Lusail, while Al Duhail take on Al Wakrah in the other fixtures.
Saturday's fixtures: Al Sailiya vs Lusail at Suhaim Bin Hamad Stadium | 5:15pm; Al Arabi vs Al Rayyan at Al Thumama Stadium | 7:30pm; Al Duhail vs Al Wakrah at Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium | 7:30pm
