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Al Sadd and Al Rayyan will renew their storied rivalry in the Qatar Clasico Thursday at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium, headlining the ninth round of the Qatar Stars League.The two giants of Qatari football meet under contrasting circumstances — Al Sadd are desperate to end a worrying winless run, while Al Rayyan arrive brimming with confidence after climbing into the top four.The reigning champions Al Sadd have struggled to find their rhythm this season, going four games without victory, including a 3-1 defeat to Al Arabi in the previous round that left them languishing in seventh place with eight points. For Sergio Allegri’s men, a turnaround is imperative if they are to keep their title hopes alive.“It is clear that the match against Al Rayyan will be very evenly matched,” said Al Sadd coach Allegri Wednesday. “They are coming off a good win and will have high morale, but we are working hard to get the three points and move up the standings. The players are motivated — they know how important this match is for everyone at the club, especially the fans.”Al Rayyan, meanwhile, are enjoying a strong campaign under Portuguese coach Artur Jorge. A 2-0 victory over Al Wakrah in the last round lifted them to fourth place on 13 points, with Brazilian striker Roger Guedes leading the league scoring charts with seven goals.“The Al Sadd match will be a big one because it’s against the league champions and the best team in the league,” said Jorge. “We’ll play with the same approach — to win — and we’re confident of achieving victory. The management did a great job in the transfer window, and now we need to build a winning mentality. I promise the fans we’ll fight for every title.”Rayyan forward Rodrigo Moreno is also relishing the challenge. “It will be a big match against the league champions, and we must prepare in the best possible way,” he said. “We’re focused, and the coach is always pushing us to perform at our best to get the three points.”In another high-stakes showdown Thursday, Al Gharafa will take on Al Duhail at Thani Bin Jassim Stadium in a clash that could reshape the top of the standings. Al Gharafa sit second with 16 points after defeating Al Ahli 3-1 in the previous round, while Al Duhail are fifth with 11 points following a 2-0 victory over Al Shamal.Friday’s fixtures will feature league leaders Qatar SC, who face Al Wakrah at the Saud bin Abdulrahman Stadium. Qatar SC, under Spanish coach Marquez Lopez, lead the table with 17 points after edging Umm Salal 2-1 last week. Al Wakrah, who slipped to sixth with 11 points after losing to Al Rayyan, will be determined to bounce back and stay within reach of the leading pack.Also Friday, Al Arabi will look to build on their morale-boosting 3-1 win over Al Sadd when they meet Al Shahaniya at Al Thumama Stadium. The victory lifted Al Arabi to eighth place, while Al Shahaniya, rooted to the bottom with four points, are under pressure to respond following a narrow 1-0 loss to Al Sailiya.Saturday’s action sees Al Sailiya take on Al Ahli at Hamad Bin Khalifa Stadium. Al Sailiya have surged off the bottom with back-to-back wins and now sit ninth with six points, while Al Ahli are second from bottom on goal difference after their defeat to Al Gharafa. At Al Khor Stadium, Umm Salal will meet Al Shamal in a crucial tie for both teams. Al Shamal dropped from first to third following their first loss of the campaign to Al Duhail, while Umm Salal, with just six points, are desperate to stop a run of two straight defeats.

The 2026 Diamond League season will begin in Doha on May 8 and finish at the two-day series final in Brussels on September 4-5. The world’s greatest athletes will return to the global stage next year as they embark on another continent-crossing Wanda Diamond League campaign in 2026.Following another record-breaking year in 2025, many of the sport’s biggest names will be hoping to make history once again as athletics’ premier one-day series returns for its 17th season. As in previous years, athletes will compete for points at 14 meetings as they bid to qualify for the series final in Brussels and a shot at the iconic Diamond Trophy.The 2026 Road to the Final will begin in Asia, with Doha hosting the season opener on May 8 before back-to-back Chinese meetings in Shanghai and Xiamen. The African leg of the series will take place in Rabat on May 31, before the first European meeting of the season in Rome the following week.After stops in Stockholm, Oslo and Paris, the world’s biggest stars will head to Eugene on the US west coast for a meeting which has seen five world records in the past three seasons alone. The series then returns to Europe for meetings in Monaco and London, before the Road to the Final enters the home straight in August.Lausanne, Silesia and Zurich will be the last stops before the world’s biggest stars assemble in Brussels for the Wanda Diamond League Final on September 4-5. With meetings on four different continents, the Diamond League is one of the most truly global series in world sport.In 2025, it welcomed 400,000 spectators to some of the planet’s most iconic arenas and was broadcast on television in 170 different countries. It also reached an online fanbase of five million social media followers worldwide, notching up more than one billion impressions and more than 900mn video views across all platforms.In 2026, that global reach will only grow as the sport’s biggest names return to Diamond League action. Swedish pole vault sensation Mondo Duplantis will be out to claim a sixth successive Diamond League title in 2026, as he looks to improve on his latest world record of 6.30m.US sprint star Noah Lyles became the most successful track athlete in Diamond League history with his sixth series title in 2025, and now has the chance to equal or even surpass the overall record of seven Diamond Trophies.For newly crowned world champions such as the USA’s Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Jamaica’s Oblique Seville, the 2026 Diamond League offers the chance to confirm their top-dog status in a season-long struggle for one of the sport’s biggest prizes. With no Olympic Games or World Championships, the Diamond Trophy will be one of the biggest global titles up for grabs in 2026.Schedule:May 8 – Doha; May 16 – Shanghai; May 23 – Xiamen; May 31 – Rabat; June 4 – Rome; June 7 – Stockholm; June 10 – Oslo; June 26 – Paris; July 4 – Eugene; July 10 – Monaco; July 18 – London; August 21 – Lausanne; August 23 – Silesia; August 27 – Zurich; September 4-5 – Final in Brussels

Arsenal stretched their Premier League lead to four points as Eberechi Eze’s goal beat his former club Crystal Palace 1-0, while Manchester City lost 1-0 at Aston Villa Sunday.Bournemouth are now the Gunners’ closest challengers in second after they beat Nottingham Forest 2-0, while Tottenham climbed to third after a 3-0 win at Everton.After Liverpool’s latest defeat to Brentford on Saturday, Arsenal enjoyed the perfect weekend as both their title rivals fell further behind as they go from strength to strength.Eze left the Eagles to join Arsenal in a £60 million ($80 million) deal in August and his first Premier League goal was decisive as Mikel Arteta’s men were again able to lean on their set-piece prowess and a solid defence.The England international blasted in on the volley after Palace failed to clear Declan Rice’s free-kick six minutes before half-time.Arsenal again failed to hit top gear going forward, but didn’t need to as they kept a 10th clean sheet in 13 games in all competitions this season.“The technique from Eze is unbelievable. We needed something special,” said Arteta.“We didn’t score a second goal and when you don’t do that you are in danger, but we restricted them to very little.”The only concern for Arteta was the sight of Rice and William Saliba having to be replaced in the second half due to injury.Arsenal now lead fifth-placed City by six points and have a seven-point cushion over Liverpool in seventh.City appeared to be emerging as Arsenal’s biggest obstacle in the title race after a nine-game unbeaten run. But Pep Guardiola’s men lost at Villa Park for the third consecutive season as Erling Haaland’s 12-game scoring streak came to an end.Matty Cash’s stunning strike from outside the box on 19 minutes secured a fourth consecutive league win for Villa as Unai Emery’s men climb to seventh.Haaland had a late goal ruled out for offside, but City’s lack of goal threat other than the Norwegian finally cost the visitors. No City player other than Haaland has scored in the Premier League for a month.“We were not aggressive enough,” said a disappointed Guardiola. Spurs captain Micky van de Ven scored twice as Tottenham inflicted Everton’s first defeat at the new Hill Dickinson Stadium.Pape Mate Sarr added a third late on to continue Tottenham’s strong start under Thomas Frank.Bournemouth climbed up to second as Forest’s struggles continued despite a change in management. Sean Dyche got his reign off to a winning start against Porto in the Europa League on Thursday, but Forest remain in the bottom three after they were convincingly beaten on the south coast.Marcus Tavernier opened the scoring for the Cherries directly from a corner as the swirling wind caught out Matz Sels. Eli Junior Kroupi then blasted in his fourth goal in six Premier League games to double Bournemouth’s lead.Wolves remain bottom of the table after Burnley edged a 3-2 thriller in stoppage time at Molineux thanks to Lyle Foster.Zian Flemming’s double put the visitors 2-0 up inside 30 minutes but Wolves hit back before half-time through Jorgen Strand Larsen and Marshall Munetsi.Foster’s late strike propelled the Clarets five points clear of the relegation zone and left Wolves now six points adrift of safety.

Joao Pedro scored a brace to give 10-man Qatar SC 2-1 win in the Qatar Stars League (QSL) match against Umm Salal to lift them to top spot Sunday.Qatar SC are now top of the table with 17 points, one more than second-placed Al Gharafa, while Al Shamal are at the third place with 14 points. Former champions Al Rayyan, who defeated Al Wakrah 2-0 Sunday for their fourth win of the season, are at the fourth place with 13 points.At the Suhaim Bin Hamad Stadium, Pedro scored a penalty in the 51st minute before finding the net again in the 85th minute after Rami Suhail had given Umm Salal the lead in 45+3 minute.Qatar SC were reduced to 10 men as early as the 14th minute, with Ahmed Sayyar given the boot after a second successive booking for nasty fouls committed by him.With their one-man advantage, the pendulum began to swing in favour of Umm Salal, and they made their numerical strength count with Rami Suhail bagging the opener with a header from the centre of the box just before the half-time break. Qatar SC came back for the concluding half of the match, determined to fight to a standstill, irrespective of being a man down, and their resilience paid off in the 51st minute with Joao Pedro scoring a fantastic penalty goal to restore parity following a bad foul on Ali Saoudi by Umm Salal’s Naim Laidouni.Pedro emerged as the star of the night for his side when he scored his second of the night and the winning goal for The Kings with a right-footed shot from outside the box, which perfectly located the bottom left corner of Umm Salal’s goal to ensure the maximum points for his team.Al Sailiya 1 Al Shahania 0Al Sailiya clinched a crucial 1-0 win over Al Shahania in an absorbing match at the Al Khor Stadium Sunday. The only goal of the match was scored by Diogo Amaro, who deflected in a teammate’s header, in the 35th minute of the match.The win, Al Sailiya’s only second of the league, took their tally to six points. Al Shahania, who tried really hard in the second half to force a deadlock, were unsuccessful in finding a good finish. A Francesco Antonucci free-kick sailed just over the bar, while a Pelle van Amersfoort charge in dying moments was cut off by Al Sailiya goalkeeper Fahad Younis.It was Al Shahania’s fifth loss and pushed them into the 12th place with four points.

Bayer Leverkusen found some solace at home Sunday after a Champions League humbling by Paris Saint-Germain with a 2-0 win over Freiburg in the Bundesliga.Dismantled 7-2 by the European champions at the same venue five days ago, Leverkusen got back to winning ways thanks to strikes by Ernest Poku and Edmond Tapsoba either side of the break.The victory took the 2023-24 double winners to fourth spot in the table, two points clear of Stuttgart, who host lowly Mainz in Sunday's final match.Leverkusen midfielder Jonas Hofmann told DAZN his side "shook off the 7-2 defeat" to PSG with Sunday's victory.Leverkusen have now won four in a row in the Bundesliga as part of a seven-match domestic unbeaten run.Coach Kasper Hjulmand, who replaced the sacked Erik ten Hag two games into the league season, is yet to taste defeat in the Bundesliga.The loss was Freiburg's first in the league since August.These two sides played out a 2-2 draw in May but only three players who started for Leverkusen on Sunday were at the club last season.After 22 minutes, Spain midfielder Aleix Garcia played a clever one-two with Poku, who hit a low shot into the bottom right corner to give the hosts the lead.It was the eighth time in eight league games this season Leverkusen have scored first.The hosts doubled up seven minutes into the second half when Tapsoba muscled through the Freiburg defence to head in an Alejandro Grimaldo cross.With 15 minutes remaining, Freiburg were reduced to 10 men when Philipp Lienhart picked up a second yellow."I feel everything was decided even before the red card. It feels good," Hofmann added of Leverkusen's performance.

Al Gharafa went top of the table after defeating Al Ahli 3-1, while Al Arabi stunned defending champions Al Sadd 3-1 in the Qatar Stars League Saturday. Al Duhail, meanwhile, earned a crucial 2-0 win over Al Shamal, who slumped from top spot to third.At the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, Al Sadd suffered a surprise defeat to Al Arabi, who came from behind to seal an impressive win. Akram Afif had given Al Sadd the lead in the 39th minute with a right-footed finish from the centre of the box after a clever through ball from Guilherme. However, Al Arabi responded swiftly through Michael Olunga, who headed home a fine cross from Rodri Sanchez just four minutes later.Misfortune struck Al Sadd moments before half-time when defender Ahmed Suhail inadvertently turned a Mohammed Khaled cross into his own net to hand Al Arabi the advantage. Matters worsened for the hosts when Paulo Otavio was sent off for violent conduct, leaving them a man short before the break.Al Arabi sealed the result late in the second half when Sanchez capitalised on a rebound after substitute Salem Reda’s shot struck the upright, firing home to make it 3-1. The win lifted Al Arabi to ninth place with seven points, while Al Sadd remained on eight points in seventh.Al Sadd goalkeeper Meshaal Barsham said that the match against Al Arabi was difficult and that the team is going through its toughest period. “The match was difficult, and the expulsion of Otavio affected us, especially since the players were feeling exhausted. We are going through a difficult period and it has been a while since we achieved any victory. We do not know exactly what the problem is. The fans support the team and we must return in better shape,” he said.Meanwhile, at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium, Al Duhail recorded a vital win over Al Shamal. Krzysztof Piatek opened the scoring in the 25th minute before Tahsin Jamshid doubled the lead in the 41st. Despite Benjamin Bourigeaud missing a penalty late on, the Red Knights held firm for their third win of the campaign, taking their tally to 11 points as they stayed fourth. Al Shamal, suffering their first defeat of the season, remained on 14 points and dropped to third.Al Duhail coach Djamel Belmadi praised his side’s display, saying: “We achieved an important victory against Al Shamal. This result reflects our teamwork and determination. The players gave a great effort tonight, and I thank them for their performance and commitment.”In the day’s other fixture, Al Gharafa climbed to the summit with a convincing win over Al Ahli at Al Thumama Stadium. Goals from Ferjani Sassi (47th minute), Seydou Sano (62nd minute) and an own goal by Amin Tihi (90th minute) helped Al Gharafa to victory, while Al Ahli’s lone goal was scored from the penalty spot by Julian Draxler in the 59th minute.The result took Al Gharafa to 16 points at the top of the standings. Qatar SC, who are in action Sunday against Umm Salal, can leapfrog Gharafa with a win.After an exciting but goalless first half, Sassi opened the scoring for Al Gharafa two minutes into the second half with a beautiful header from the centre of the box following a corner. The goal seemed to spur the hosts into action, and they responded 12 minutes later from the spot through Draxler following a foul on Michel Vlap by Sassi in the penalty area.The Cheetahs restored their lead through Sano three minutes later, who nodded home from an unmarked position following a corner kick by Yacine Brahimi. Al Ahli’s woes were further compounded at the stroke of regulation time when Tihi unwittingly turned the ball into his own net from a blocked shot to ensure a convincing win for Al Gharafa.

Arsenal's miserly defence has conceded three Premier League goals so far this season and manager Mikel Arteta hopes their fortress-like foundation can finally deliver the silverware that has eluded the North London club for so long.With David Raya in goal and the commanding centre-back partnership of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes, clean sheets have become Arsenal's trademark in this campaign. Arsenal have conceded just three times in the league this season and have kept three successive clean sheets in the Champions League, meaning their defensive record after 12 matches is the best in the club's 138-year history. Jose Mourinho's Chelsea side of 20 years ago let in just 15 goals on their way to winning the league, which is a Premier League record.Their defensive solidity even extends to Europe where the formidable back line remain unbreached after three Champions League games and will be put to the test again when the Premier League leaders host Crystal Palace tomorrow."We hope that these records that we are getting a lot bring silverware at the end and the trophies that we want. But the more we can produce, the closer we are going to be able to achieve what we want to do," Arteta told reporters. "Our defensive record is very good but we need to be consistent. It's only the start of the season and our aim is to keep improving things, which we can do to keep getting better."The teams with the best defensive records, most of the time, apart from the last three seasons in the Premier League, you normally win the title. The stronger we are with the foundations, the more probability we have of winning."While Arsenal's defensive wall has frustrated opponents, it's their prowess from set pieces that has been rewriting the record books at the other end of the pitch. Arsenal have already plundered 10 goals from set plays in eight games, the earliest any side has reached double figures for set-piece goals in Premier League history.Arteta admitted he knew set pieces – including free-kicks and corners – would be essential to any success during his Arsenal reign. Crucially, Arteta was doing his coaching badges when he met Nicolas Jover, who would later become set-piece coach at Brentford before joining Arsenal in 2021. Jover has been instrumental in Arsenal's remarkable ability at set-pieces.Arteta credited the training ground obsession that has turned dead-ball situations into Arsenal's secret weapon. "First of all, creating the culture, giving to that part of the game the importance it has," he said. "Also, understanding that football is evolving and the way opponents are acting against us, we have to maximise certain things that happen very frequently. Something that happens very frequently has a lot of value to us, so we try to maximise that and be effective."Tomorrow's encounter carries extra significance after Palace held Arsenal to a damaging 2-2 draw in April, a result that effectively handed Liverpool the title initiative. "It's the fourth game in a row that we have played against an opponent that we dropped points against last year," Arteta said. "This season we've been able to beat them, so our focus is on continuing that."The match also gives attacking midfielder Eberechi Eze the chance to face his former club after the England international's 68mn move in August. Local boy Eze scored the winner for Palace in last season's FA Cup final against Manchester City at Wembley as the South London club won 1-0 to lift their first major trophy. "For Ebs (Eze) we know it is going to be a very special match with the history and what he did for Palace, but the focus is on the team," Arteta added.

Viktor Gyokeres says he is eager to respond to manager Mikel Arteta’s call to take his goal-scoring momentum into the Premier League, after Tuesday’s impressive performance against Atletico Madrid. Attacker Gyokeres ended a run of seven games without a goal by scoring twice in Arsenal’s 4-0 rout of Atletico in the Champions League at the Emirates Stadium.It took the 27-year-old’s tally for the Gunners to five goals following his £58mn ($77mn) transfer from Sporting Lisbon, where he scored 97 times in 102 appearances.Gunners boss Arteta challenged Gyokeres to keep the goals coming, with Arsenal back in domestic action against London rivals Crystal Palace at the Emirates on Sunday. “I’m more hungry now,” said Gyokeres. “You always want to contribute with work rate and other stuff, but when you score goals as well, it’s a bit special. So that’s something I always want to do.“The group we have and the spirit is something different and something very special. When you win games and you do these performances, it builds confidence in the team. The belief has to always be there, but of course this helps to boost it. We just want to keep going like this.”Manager Arteta said Gyokeres fully deserved the ovation he received from the Arsenal fans. “I think he deserved it because everything that we were seeing in terms of what he was bringing to the team and how much he was helping the team in many areas, apart from scoring goals in the last few weeks,” Arteta told reporters.“There was no debate about that. It was about keeping that belief in himself, that emotional state that he can enjoy and play freely. I look at his teammates as well, in the picture and the video, they are all so happy for him.”His opening goal was a messy affair as his weak shot dribbled into the net via a deflection while his second came from yet another Arsenal set piece with Gabriel heading a corner into the path of the Sweden international.“He makes us a much better team. I think we’ve become much more unpredictable. He’s so physical, the way he presses the ball, holds the ball, that’s phenomenal,” Arteta said. “He’s scored two very different ones today, and hopefully he starts to get some momentum and a good run of goals.”Arsenal have won their three games in Europe so far this season with as many clean sheets. They have conceded just three goals this term, away to champions Liverpool and Newcastle and at home to Manchester City, with just one of those coming from open play, in their first 12 fixtures.Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya, who has posted five consecutive shutouts, said: “I give clean sheets the same credit as goals. If we’re keeping clean sheets, it’s going to make games easier to win. It’s really, really important for the whole team, not giving away that many chances and being very, very solid. The depth of the squad is incredible. We have a lot of players who can play in two, three or four positions. (Mikel) Merino came on as a striker (against Atletico), but he can play as a number six, eight, or as a number 10, and that is the variety that the boss has and he is using it to our advantage. It gives us an extra level in training and in games, because if you are not at it you can lose your spot and everybody is on board with that.”Premier League table-toppers Arsenal will head into this weekend’s round of fixtures with a three-point lead over second-placed Manchester City. Liverpool are a further point adrift.

Al Rayyan were held to a 1-1 draw by Oman’s Al Nahda in the second round of the Gulf Club Champions League at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Musacat Wednesday.The hosts took the lead through Cameroonian striker Olomo in the 55th minute, but Rodrigo Moreno restored parity for Al Rayyan ten minutes later with a fine header. Despite dominating the closing stages and missing a penalty opportunity, Al Rayyan had to settle for a point from their second outing of the tournament.Al Rayyan had won their opening match in emphatic fashion 5-0 against Yemen’s Al Tadamun Hadramaut.

Al Rayyan will look to maintain their perfect start to the Gulf Club Champions League (GCCL) when they face Omani side Al Nahda this evening at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Muscat in a Group B clash.The Qatari giants come into the second round of the group stage brimming with confidence after a dominant 5-0 victory over Al Tadamun Hadramaut in their opening match. Now topping the group, Al Rayyan are aiming to consolidate their lead with another strong performance.Speaking ahead of the game, Al Rayyan head coach Artur Jorge underlined the importance of the fixture and his team’s ambitions. “We are heading into another match in the Gulf Championship against Al-Nahda, and we are aware of the importance of this match, which will not be easy,” said the Portuguese tactician during the pre-match press conference Tuesday.“Our goal is to continue winning in this tournament. We must do our best and perform at the level Al Rayyan is known for. We have great ambitions in this tournament, through which we hope to achieve the best results and reach the final. This requires all players to exert their utmost effort in every match.”Spanish forward Rodrigo Moreno, one of the standouts in the opening round, echoed his coach’s sentiments, stressing the team’s commitment to continuing their strong form. “Our preparations were good for this important match, through which we hope to continue our victories and achieve the desired result that will help us advance further in the tournament,” said Moreno.“We respect our opponents greatly, and we will play to continue our victories and achieve the three points we seek. This is an important tournament for us, and we seek to compete. We are ready for the challenge. We must maintain the same level we showed in the last match and play with the same enthusiasm in order to achieve victory.”

Al Hilal continued the perfect start to their campaign with a 3-1 victory over Al Sadd in their AFC Champions League Elite 2025-26 tie Tuesday.Strikes from Yusuf Akcicek, Kalidou Koulibaly and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic steered Simone Inzaghi’s side to a third victory while Al Sadd’s wait for a triumph continued as they suffered defeat after having started with two draws.Al Hilal, who were missing Joao Cancelo and Salem al-Dawsari, made five changes to the starting line-up that defeated Al Ettifaq 5-0 in a Saudi Pro League tie on Friday while Al Sadd introduced four changes from their last continental stage outing against United Arab Emirates’ Sharjah.Following a cagey start, the home side had the first look at goal in the 10th minute after Ruben Neves helped set up Kaio Cesar from a corner, only for the Brazilian midfielder to fire wide off the right post.Al Sadd were almost punished in the 18th minute when Milinkovic-Savic and Abdullah Al Hamddan combined to split open their defence, only for Savic’s effort to be parried away by keeper Meshaal Barsham.Another lapse followed in the 23rd minute as Mohamed Kanno’s cross found Milinkovic-Savic, who had the time and space to pick his spot but missed his target from the top of the box but Al Hilal made no mistake two minutes later.The pressure finally got to the Qatari side after they failed to deal with a Santos Almeida free-kick, allowing Koulibaly to nudge the ball into the path of Akcicek, who slotted home from close range. The Qatari side were caught out again in the 40th minute after Ruben Neves whipped in a cross for Koulibaly to power home with a header.The four-time Asian champions threatened to extend their advantage in the second half with Ahmed Suhail and Milinkovic-Savic coming close two minutes after the restart, while Marcos Leonardo saw his soft close range attempt parried away by Barsham.Against the run of play, Al Sadd pulled one back in the 63rd minute when a clever Pedro Miguel pass found Roberto Firmino - who tasted continental glory with Al Ahli Saudi FC last season - to slot home.Sergio Alegre’s side came knocking again 10 minutes later when Pedro Miguel released Paulo Otavio inside the box, only for Koulibaly to intervene with a clearance. Al Hilal, however, put the game to bed in the 82nd minute with Milinkovic-Savic curling a stunning free-kick over the Al Sadd wall past a sprawling Barsham.Al Hilal had a chance to extend their lead in stoppage time after Abdullah Al Yazidi conceded a penalty but Barsham kept out Cesar’s spot-kick but it did not dampen the gloss on their victory. Al Hilal will seek a fourth win against Al Gharafa SC on November 3 while Al Sadd will play Al Ahli Saudi FC a day later.

Fermin Lopez bagged a hat-trick and Marcus Rashford struck twice for Barcelona in a 6-1 demolition of Olympiacos to get the Catalan giants back on track in the Champions League.Teenage star Lamine Yamal was also on target for Hansi Flick's side, who lost against holders Paris Saint-Germain in their previous European outing in the league phase. After a Lopez double, Ayoub El Kaabi pulled one back from the penalty spot for the Greek champions, but Santiago Hezze's red card allowed injury-hit Barcelona to rack up a big scoreline and go provisionally third.Flick was without Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and several other regulars, but his team were able to build some confidence at the Olympic stadium ahead of the Clasico against Real Madrid on Sunday in La Liga. "I'm very happy, we needed a win like that, we ended it feeling good and now to think about the Clasico," Lopez said after his treble. "I'm grateful to the team and want to continue in this dynamic."Barcelona only just scraped a win over Girona on Saturday in a tight Catalan derby, and almost fell behind right at the start against the Greeks. Alejandro Balde gave the ball away and veteran goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny had to get down well to deny Daniel Podence.Balde quickly made amends in attack as his driving runs helped Barca carve open the visitors. Rashford volleyed narrowly over after 17-year-old playmaker Dro Fernandez and Balde connected on the left. Balde was involved again as Barca took an early lead, feeding Lopez, who played in Yamal.Olympiacos goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis got down well to dispossess the teenage winger, but Lopez was on hand to bundle home the loose ball. Rashford drilled a free-kick into the side-netting as Barca controlled the game, although they lacked focus in defence, which has been a consistent problem this season. With Sunday's Clasico beckoning, their lapses in concentration are a worry.Lopez netted his second after 39 minutes, having been played in by Dro on his Champions League debut. The midfielder almost scored his hat-trick early in the second half but Tzolakis tipped his header around the post from Yamal's cross. Olympiacos pulled their way back into the game through Moroccan striker El Kaabi.The forward got between Pau Cubarsi and Eric Garcia to head home, and although the goal was disallowed for offside, Olympiacos were then awarded a penalty for handball by Garcia. El Kaabi slotted past Szczesny to give his team a lifeline, but minutes later their chances faded.Barca's Marc Casado slumped to the ground after a seemingly innocuous contact with Hezze, who was harshly shown a second yellow card. Rashford won a penalty after tumbling under Tzolakis's challenge, and Yamal sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to extend Barca's lead after 68 minutes.In fine form during his loan from Manchester United, Rashford netted two goals in six minutes, either side of Lopez's third as the Catalans ran amok. Rashford twice beat Tzolakis with clinical low near-post finishes to reach four goals in the Champions League this season after his brace in their win at Newcastle.