Al Rayyan coach Jorge Fossati will be a happy man after his team was able to defeat Al Ahli after their loss against Al Sadd.
By Sports Reporter/Doha
Order was restored as Qatar Stars League (QSL) top sides Al Rayyan and El Jaish posted key wins to rejig the points table in round 13.
Rayyan, after their shock loss to Al Sadd last Thursday, returned to winning ways without losing ground by beating Al Ahli 3-1 at Al Gharafa Stadium on Monday.
Coached by Uruguayan Jorge Fossati, Al Rayyan now have 36 points from 13 games to be at the top of QSL points standings.
El Jaish, who had slipped down to number three following three back-to-back-losses, resurfaced with a dominating show on the pitch with a morale-boosting win over win over Al Sadd. Trailing 2-1 at one stage of the game at Al Gharafa Stadium, El Jaish rose to the occasion to underline their intention by scoring two late goals to punish Al Sadd 4-2. El Jaish now have 26 points from 13 games.
Round 13 was a routine day at the office for defending championships Lekhwiya who posted their fifth successive win when they beat bottom-placed Mesaimeer. Djamel Belmadi’s boys produced the goods when it mattered as Vlaidmir Weiss and Yussef Msakni fired two goals for the defending champions who sit pretty in the third spot now.
After their win at Grand Hamad Stadium, Lekhwiya now have a tally of 25 points from 13 games, a notch below El Jaish as the battle among the top four hots up.
For Al Sadd fans, round 13 had an equal measure of delight and dejection. Last Thursday, former champions Al Sadd shocked Al Rayyan in ‘Qatar Classico’ 2-1 to signal a new trend in their round 12 clash. However, just four days later, Jeusaldo Ferreira’s side slipped with a crushing 4-2 defeat at the hands of El Jaish on Monday.
The former champions took the lead but failed to sustain it as El Jaish emerged as runway winners. Al Sadd are now at fourth place with 24 points from 13 games.
With El Jaish rediscovering form in fine fashion, it was Al Arabi who found life tough at the top. Coached by Gianfranco Zola, Al Arabi failed their test of resolve against Al Sailiya on Sunday. Al Sailiya won 2-0 as Al Arabi slipped to fifth in the points table after staying at number four for a few days.
In other games, Qatar SC played a 2-2 draw against Al Wakrah while Al Khor stunned Al Gharafa. Al Kharaitiyat also enjoyed a good run of form by beating Umm Salal 3-0. Round 14 resumes on December 20.
REST FOR AL SAILIYA PLAYERS
BEFORE AL RAYYAN CLASH
Al Sailiya coach Sami Trabelsi has allowed his players two-day rest before the side’s Qatar Stars League (QSL) clash against Al Rayyan next week, the club said yesterday.
The two sides clash in a round 14 match on December 21.
This latest development comes after Al Sailiya’s impressive 2-0 win over Al Arabi by two goals in Round 13.
Last week’s win has allowed seventh-placed Al Sailiya to accumulate 19 points from 13 games.
Trabelsi’s side has managed four successive wins in QSL since November.
Al Sailiya will resume their training sessions next Thursday though the players had some light drills on Monday.
Al Rayyan hammered Al Sailiya 4-0 in the first leg between the two sides.
Al Ahli win tested us, says
Al Rayyan manager al-shafi
Rayyan beat Al Ahli and retained their top billing on the points table but team manager said yesterday his side was tested by their rivals
“I applaud the performance of the side,” said team manager Mazkar al-Shafi.
“I thank the players for their commitment but it was not easy win. They tested us,” he said.
Al-Shafi added: “The match wasn’t easy despite the win with three goals as some people may assume. Our desire to compensate for Al Sadd defeat put much pressure on the players.”
He added: “Also taking into consideration that Al Ahli aren’t easy opponents. During the course of the game Al Rayyan performed well as taking the lead by two goals during the first half helped us gain superiority for the remainder of the match.”
Al-Shafi explained: “The team deserved the three points to complete their 12th win which is an amazing record especially by the end of the first leg of QSL.”
Al Rayyan has a tally of 36 pints from 13 games (12 victories and one defeat).
“We expect another tough fight when we play Al Sailiya in the next round,” al-Shafi said.
