Al Rayyan stayed in title contention after a 2-1 comeback win over Qatar SC as the QNB Stars League resumed yesterday after a four-month break. 
At the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium, Qatar SC looked like they would deny full three points to Rayyan before Yohan Boli struck the winner in the 84th minute. After yesterday’s win, Rayyan moved on to 41 points, just one behind leaders Al Duhail, who take on Umm Salal today. Qatar SC remained in ninth position with 17 points. 
Kayke Rodriguez had put Qatar SC ahead in the 10th minute, but Yacine Brahimi converted a 40th-minute penalty as the teams went to half-time break locked at 1-1. In the second half, Qatar SC frustrated Rayyan for large parts but Boli was able to eke out a winner in a huge sigh of relief for his team.
Qatar SC are not completely safe from the relegation threat. However, they have put up better displays ever since ex-Qatar international midfielder Wesam Rizik took charge of the squad, replacing Spanish coach Carlos Alos Ferrer, under whom they dropped many points.
This time, it was a much-improved performance by Qatar SC, who had lost to Rayyan by a 0-5 margin in the first leg. Al Rayyan dominated the exchanges with 68 per cent of the ball at the end. Brahimi, Boli & Co more than made up for the absence of The Lions’ influential midfielder Rodrigo Tabata, whose contract with the club ended.
Kayke found the target as he beat off the offside trap and challenge from Rayyan defender Gabriel Mercado after controlling with his chest a long lob from the right by Sardor Rashidov. And goalkeeper Fahd Younis could not do much either. Kayke was soon at it, but this time, he hit the side-netting.
Rayyan equalised as Brahimi converted a penalty awarded after Abdulaziz Hatem was fouled inside the box by Omar al-Emadi when Hatem was chasing a pass given by Khaled Muftah on the left.
Mercado compensated towards the end of first half by effecting a goalline clearance off a chip shot by Rashidov. After the second half started, Al Hail had to produce an acrobatic save to parry a stunning long-ranger from Abdulaziz Hatem.
Rayyan’s winner came off Boli, who volleyed home from close after Abdulaziz Hatem provided him with a pass from the left. The ball had rebounded off the left post and off the leg of Al Hail after Brahimi first unleashed a grounder.Adding to Qatar SC’s woes, Khaled Mahmoudi was sent off in the 87th minute.

Kodjia stars in Gharafa’s crucial win over Arabi
In the opening fixture, Jonathan Kodjia struck the all-important goal as Al Gharafa defeated Al Arabi at the Al Janoub Stadium. The Ivory Coast forward, who joined The Cheetahs in this year’s January transfer window, struck the winner in the 22nd minute of the game, the opening fixture of the tournament which resumed after a long break forced by the coronavirus pandemic.
Incidentally, the first-leg match between the teams had also ended in an identical result in favour of Al Gharafa, who now have 31 points with their ninth victory. Arabi thus suffered their sixth defeat and stood on 24 points. It was a crucial win for Gharafa, who have now strengthened their grip on fourth place, having opened up a seven-point lead over Arabi.  
Much was at stake for both teams, with passionate fans as well as rich tradition and reputation in Qatar football, although matches are now played without fans as per the protocol and precautionary measures.
The game was evenly fought, with Gharafa, coached by Serb Slavisa Jokanovic, enjoying 52 per cent possession after the first half and Arabi having exactly the same percentage of the ball at the end.
Gharafa had an upper hand early on and they reaped the rewards halfway through the opening session, with Abdulghani Muneer providing Kodjia with a defence-splitting pass and the latter finding the target dodging past a couple of Arabi players and beating goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada.
Kodjia, the Gharafa spearhead, had a narrow miss in the 42nd minute as he hit wide of the left upright and then hit straight to the goalkeeper. Arabi’s attacks were feeble as Pierre-Michel Lasogga and Yousef Abdulrazaq failed to breach the rival fort.
The Dream Team, seeking a victory in their bid to break into the top four to give themselves a chance to play in the Qatar Cup and AFC Champions League, upped the ante in the second half.
Lasogga headed wide soon after the hour mark as the rivals went slightly on the backfoot. The tall German forward again sent his shot straight to Burhan in the 77th minute. Icelander Heimir Hallgrimsson’s men could not make any roads despite their captain and Al Gharafa registered a crucial victory.
Gharafa were without Algerian midfielders Adlene Guedioura through an injury and suspended Sofiane Hanni, while Arabi’s Tunisian forward Hamdi Harbaoui sat out suspended.

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