Al Rayyan reclaimed the Qatar Stars League summit in spectacular fashion, edging defending champions Al Sadd 4-3 in a pulsating Qatar Clasico at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium yesterday.
In a seven-goal encounter that swung repeatedly, Al Rayyan delivered a devastating first-half performance to establish a 4-1 lead before surviving a spirited Al Sadd fightback to claim three crucial points.
The victory took Al Rayyan to 21 points, level with Al Duhail but ahead on goal difference. Al Sadd slipped to third on 18 points, three behind the leading pair and four clear of fourth-placed Al Arabi.
Al Rayyan made an explosive start, with Ahmed Alaa opening the scoring in the 10th minute. Otavio doubled the advantage just three minutes later, putting the visitors firmly in control.
Al Sadd responded through Roberto Firmino in the 21st minute, but their hopes of building momentum were quickly dashed as Roger Guedes restored Al Rayyan's two-goal cushion a minute later.
The visitors continued to punish the champions' defensive frailties, with Alaa completing his brace before the half-hour mark to make it 4-1.
Al Sadd, however, refused to surrender and Giovanni Henrique reduced the deficit three minutes before half-time. The hosts had an opportunity to move within one goal in stoppage time, but Akram Afif failed to convert a penalty, leaving Al Rayyan with a 4-2 advantage at the break.
The champions emerged with renewed determination after the interval and gradually increased the pressure. Afif made amends for his earlier miss by finding the net midway through the second half, setting up a tense final spell.
Al Sadd threw players forward in pursuit of an equaliser, but Al Rayyan remained organised under pressure and threatened on the counter-attack. Despite the late onslaught, the visitors held their nerve to secure a memorable Clasico triumph.
Alaa, who played a decisive role with two goals, revealed that his opening strike was the product of specific preparation in training. “We actually practised that first goal yesterday. We knew how the goalkeeper plays, and we worked on it in training. For the first, I read the goalkeeper’s movement, while the second was a textbook header,” he said.
The forward dedicated the victory to the club's supporters, acknowledging the collective effort behind the result. “This is the result of a collective effort by the players, coaching staff, management and fans. I’d like to thank the fans and dedicate this victory to them. Hopefully, we can continue to make them proud and maintain this level of performance and results until the end of the season,” he added.
Lusail snatch late win over Qatar SC
Lusail SC continued their impressive start to life in the top flight with a dramatic 3-2 victory over Qatar SC, courtesy of Hamidreza Firouzi's late winner at Al Khor Stadium.
The result lifted the QSL newcomers to fifth place with 12 points, while Qatar SC remained 11th on six points.
Lusail took the lead in the 18th minute when Rodrigo converted a penalty, but Qatar SC restored parity through Joao Pedro, who also scored from the spot seven minutes before half-time.
The hosts completed the turnaround seven minutes after the restart, with Yohan Boli putting them 2-1 ahead in the 52nd minute.
Lusail responded swiftly as Khaled Mansour equalised four minutes later to bring the contest level again.
With both sides seemingly heading for a share of the points, Firouzi struck in the 86th minute to seal a dramatic victory and extend Lusail's encouraging run.
