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Al Shamal handed Umm Salal a 5-0 thrashing in the Qatar Stars League at the Al Khor Stadium Saturday to go second in the table behind leaders Al Gharafa.Their fifth win of the league took Al Shamal’s tally to 17 points to be second in the standings, ahead of Qatar SC on goal difference. Umm Salal with a sixth loss are in 11th with 6 points while Al Gharafa are at the top with 19 points.Umm Salal were also reduced to 10-man in the 88th minute when Diyab Haroon Taha was sent off for a foul against Baghdad Bounedjah.In what a forgettable day for them, Umm Salal also suffered from two goalkeeping errors at the start which saw Al Shamal go up with a 2-0 lead before they added three more to the scoreline. Al Shamal led 3-0 at half time.Alex Collado (11th & 54th minutes), Issoufou Dayo – Own Goal (18th minute), Badghdad Bounedjah (38th minute), and Moufak Awad (90th minute) contributed the goals.Umm Salal goalkeeper Jehad Mohammad Hudib had a horror when a powerful Collado kick went through his hands and legs. Seven minutes later, there was more trouble as Hudib failed to read a back pass from Dayo, getting beaten to his right as the ball rolled into the net. Bounedjah added a third scoring from in front of the goal off a fine assist from Collado.In the second half, Collado struck again from top of the box with his left-footer finding the left corner of the net. Just ahead of added time, a Bounedjah free kick was blocked by a leaping Hudib but Moufak Awad lunged forward to kick the ball in to complete a 5-0 rout. On a day when nothing seemed to go right for Umm Salal, a second half free kick also hit the right post before falling away in what was the only glimmer of hope.Ahli beat SailiyaEarlier at the Grand Hamad Stadium, Al Ahli scored a 2-1 win over Al Sailiya to move to 9th spot. Al Sailiya with 6 points are in tenth.Julian Draxler scored a brace (27th & 90 +1 minute - penalty) to bounce Al Ahli back to winning ways while Al Sailiya’s only goal was scored by Youssef Sinana (45 + 3 minute) via a penalty.Draxler’s made a stunning right-footed shot from the right side of the box to open the scoring, while Al Sailiya’s Sinana restored parity via a spot kick just before half time after Al Ahli’s Hilal Mohammed handled the ball in the danger area. With the match heading for a draw, Draxler, once again, made the difference as he scored from the spot at the stroke of regulation time to give The Brigadiers an important victory.

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.

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.

Al Sailiya defeated Al Gharafa 3-0 in the fifth round of the QSL Cup at the Grand Hamad Stadium. Abdulrahman Mohammed opened the scoring in the third minute, before Khaled Ali doubled the lead in the 11th. Hadi Ali sealed the victory with a third goal deep into stoppage time (90+2). At Al Khor Stadium, Al Bidda were held to a 2-2 draw by Muaither. Amen Allah Meherzi gave Al Bidda an early lead in the sixth minute, but Etyan Morales levelled for Muaither in the 28th. Albert Luque put Muaither ahead in the 47th minute, only for Cristian Del Bello to equalise from the penalty spot in stoppage time after a foul in the box. Elsewhere, Al Kharaitiyat drew 1-1 with Al Wakrah at Hamad Bin Khalifa Stadium. Raul de Tomas opened the scoring for Al Wakrah in the 44th minute, but after Al Mahdi Ali was sent off early in the second half, Al Kharaitiyat took advantage, with Jordan Yuli Jele netting a late equaliser.

Al Gharafa of Qatar turned on the power in the second half to defeat Iraq’s Al Shorta 2-0 in their AFC Champions League Elite tie Monday.Strikes from Joselu and Ferjani Sassi earned Pedro Martins’ side the points as Al Gharafa got on the winning trail after having suffered a 4-3 defeat against UAE’s Sharjah FC in their opener.Al Shorta, meanwhile, are still seeking their first win after having played to a 1-1 draw with Qatar’s Al Sadd two weeks ago. The home side were almost caught napping by a counter-attacking move in the fifth minute when Ahmed Yahia powered down the left and relayed the ball to Mahmoud al-Mawas, whose shot rattled the left post from inside the six-yard-box.Al Gharafa came close to taking the lead in the 13th minute when Joselu pounced on a poor back pass from Mehdi Ashabi, only to see his effort from an acute angle strike the right post. The Iraqi outfit had a great chance just moments later after Mahmoud al-Mawas lost his marker down the right and set up Leonel Ateba who fumbled his shot from close range.The duo almost conjured the opener just after the half-hour mark when al-Mawas timed his run to perfection to slip the ball to Ateba, whose effort from inside the box was foiled by Al Gharafa keeper Amine Lecomte-Addani. At the other end, Al Shorta wasted their best chance of the half from a fast break which saw Fabricio Díaz play the ball across to Ahmed al-Ganehi, who skied his effort.The deadlock was broken three minutes into the second half when al-Ganehi intercepted a poor pass, leaving Yacine Brahimi to tee up Joselu to slot home from close range.Gharafa extended their lead in the 54th minute after Brahimi’s precise cross into the box was headed by Sassi past outstretched keeper Ahmed Basil.The home side were denied a third goal in the 66th minute when al-Ganehi’s effort struck the bar from inside the box, while Al Shorta came close on a breakaway with Al Mawas teeing up Dominique Mendy, whose shot was blocked.Al Gharafa next meet defending champions Al Ahli Saudi in an away game on October 20, with Al Shorta to host Al Ittihad Club on the same day.Duhail hold defending champions AhliAl Duhail and Al Ahli Saudi FC both had the lead but eventually had to settle for a 2-2 draw in their AFC Champions League Elite match.While the stalemate meant Al Ahli equalled the tournament’s unbeaten run record of 20 matches, it ended their eight-game winning run as Duhail earned a well deserved point. The reigning champions didn’t have to wait long to register their first attempt on target, Matheus Goncalves with a delicate chip into the box in the eighth minute which Roger Ibanez got his head to, forcing Al Duhail goalkeeper Arthus Desmas to backtrack to tip the ball over.Al Ahli, however, then found themselves trailing for the second game running as Matthias Jaissle’s side switched off the 25th minute, allowing a goal kick to be flicked on by Krzysztof Piatek to Adil Boubina, who hit the post but Edmilson Junior was on hand to tap home the rebound. Al Duhail suffered a blow seven minutes later when Desmas - who was making his debut for the Qatari side - suffered a head injury after a heavy collision with Feras Albrikan, with Bautista Burke replacing him.Burke, however, didn’t have time to settle in as Al Ahli drew level on 42 minutes when Goncalves cut inside Youssef Ayman before firing a low shot to the near post which the 22-year-old got a hand to but was not enough to keep the ball out.Things went from bad to worse for Burke four minutes later when his attempted pass out from the box went straight to Riyad Mahrez, who had the simple task of rolling the ball into an unguarded goalmouth. Djamel Belmadi took a gamble at the start of the second half, replacing midfielder Luis Alberto with forward Almoez Ali, who partnered Piatek and the Al Duhail head coach was rewarded just two minutes in.Edmilson got away from Goncalves on the right flank before delivering a telling cross that was thumped into the top corner by Piatek. Piatek should have gotten his second 10 minutes later from another Edmilson cross but despite being unmarked, could not get his volley on target while Ivan Toney had a late attempt saved by Burke as the sides settled for a share of the points.

Omid Ebrahimi’s last-gasp penalty salvaged a 1-1 draw for Al Shamal against Qatar SC in the Qatar Stars League at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium Saturday.Iranian midfielder's spot-kick, converted nine minutes into stoppage time, denied Qatar SC what would have been a crucial victory. Instead, Al Shamal stayed top of the table with 14 points, level with Qatar SC, who remain second. Al Gharafa are third with 13 points.The match produced a flurry of chances but neither side could break through in the first half. The deadlock was finally broken in the 58th minute, when Al Shamal’s Moufak Awad turned Eisa Palangi’s cross into his own net to give Qatar SC the lead.Late drama followed as Al Shamal were initially denied a penalty for a foul on Baghdad Bounedjah after a VAR review in the 85th minute. But deep into injury time, another foul was awarded on Bounedjah, and Ebrahimi made no mistake from the spot to ensure a share of the spoils.Al Sailiya shock Al Arabi 4-0Earlier, Al Sailiya shocked fancied rivals Al Arabi 4-0 at the Al Bayt Stadium. Khalid Ali Binsabaa scored a brace for the winners striking in the 35th and 45+4 minutes, while Youssef Snana (52nd minute), and Mohamed Benyettou (54th minute) added more to the scoreline.Their first win – after five losses – gave Al Sailiya full points but they remain 12th in standings with three points while Al Arabi are 11th with four points. It was a fine show of attacking play and precise striking by Al Sailiya, who were engaged in a fierce battle at the start with Al Arabi - also looking to draw first blood.The Dream Team came close twice to scoring early but on both occasions Al Sailiya goalkeeper Fahad Younis spoiled their efforts. In the 14th minute, a deceiving Roriguez Sanchez shot was blocked by Fahad while in the 30th minute his stretched right leg cut off a potential Isaac Lihadji attempt.Al Sailiya hit back minutes later as Al Arabi goalkeeper Yousef Hassan Ali spilled a shot taken from outside the box but an alert Binsabaa was at hand to make a left-footed kick into the net. Binsabaa doubled the lead for Al Sailiya in added time of first half making a diving header to a fine assist from Mohamed Hassan Al Taabouni.Al Sailiya consolidated soon in the second session with Snana putting in an Al Taahouni through ball that caught as many as five Al Arabi defenders napping. Minutes later, a sweeping Benyettou kick from outside the box left Al Arabi dismayed.

Two of Qatar’s football giants will collide when Al Sadd host Al Duhail in the Qatar Stars League at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium Thursday. The clash, which kicks off at 8pm, promises to be one of the early season highlights, pitting two sides that have dominated the domestic scene over the past decade.Both teams enter the fixture level on seven points, separated only by goal difference. Al Duhail sit sixth with two wins, two losses and a draw, while Al Sadd are just behind in seventh after recording the same results but with fewer goals scored. With the season still in its early stages, neither side can afford to lose ground in the title race, making the encounter one with potentially significant repercussions.While the league table shows little between them, recent form tells a different story. Duhail arrive brimming with confidence after back-to-back victories, including a 4-2 win over Umm Salal and a statement 8-1 demolition of Al Arabi. These results have re-energised Djamel Belmadi’s side after a patchy start, sending a message to rivals that Duhail remain serious contenders. Al Sadd, by contrast, have stumbled in their last two outings, losing to Al Shahania before being held to a draw by Al Wakrah. Felix Sanchez’s men have shown flashes of their attacking quality but have struggled to convert dominance into victories.Sanchez on Wednesday emphasised the need for his players to stay composed under pressure. “We have a very competitive match. We finished last season as the top two teams in the league, so we expect it to be a tough match,” he said. “Unfortunately, we were not able to score many points in the last two matches, so we will try to bounce back. We know the situation is not easy, but the players are accustomed to dealing with the pressure of competition and we must achieve the desired results.”Al Sadd’s veteran defender Boualem Khoukhi underlined the importance of the contest, describing it as “worth six points.”He said: “Every player will give 100 per cent to win. I know how sad our fans are with the team’s current results and we will do everything in our capacity to make them happy. The match will be at our home stadium and the presence of fans will provide us with great motivation, especially before our match against Sharjah of the UAE in the AFC Champions League Elite.”Duhail coach Belmadi, on the other hand, was quick to highlight the historical weight of the rivalry. “The match against Al Sadd is always a top-of-the-range affair, regardless of the circumstances and results of the two teams,” he said. “If we look back over the past 15 years, we will find that the competition has always been confined to the two teams, and this confirms to everyone the value of this match. It will be a very significant encounter.”The Algerian added: “Each match has its own unique nature and the accompanying events vary from one match to the next. We achieved a big win against Al Arabi in our last match, while Al Sadd settled for a draw in the same round. This does not mean much and does not reflect the outcome of the next match. The match against Al Sadd always has its own unique characteristics, and we will try to put in a strong performance against a strong competitor. We will strive to advance in the league competition, given our slight drop in the standings.”Duhail defender Sultan al-Breik echoed his coach’s sentiments: “We will try to maintain the team’s upward trend after we managed to secure six points from two consecutive victories. We will strive to achieve the match objective, which is to win with the three points.”Over the past decade, meetings between Al Sadd and Al Duhail have rarely disappointed. From title-deciding encounters to dramatic goal-fests, the rivalry has consistently delivered drama and intensity. Thursday's fixture carries all the hallmarks of another classic: two teams evenly matched on points, both with something to prove.Rayyan face GharafaIn the other match Thursday, Al Rayyan will host Al Gharafa at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium. Both teams are currently tied on 10 points, having won three matches, drawn one and lost one. Al Rayyan hold the advantage in goal difference and occupy the third position. Al Gharafa come into the match after a 0-0 draw against leaders Al Shamal. On the other hand, Al Rayyan secured a convincing 3-0 win over Al Ahli.

Defending champions Al Sadd’s unbeaten run continued but they were held to a 2-2 draw by Al Wakrah while Al Duhail thrashed Al Arabi 8-1 in the Qatar Stars League Saturday. Meanwhile, Al Shamal stayed top of the table even as their perfect start ended in a goalless stalemate with Al Gharafa.Redounae Berkane’s brace rescued a point for fourth-placed Al Wakrah against Al Sadd at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium. Sadd are in sixth place.Akram Afif opened the scoring for Al Sadd in the 18th minute with a sensational curling right-footed shot from the left side of the box after Al Wakrah's defence failed to properly clear a loose ball.With a goal up, Al Sadd were in cruise control from thereon until Ahmed Suhail appeared to have conceded a penalty in the 34th minute following what seemed to be a foul on Al Wakrah’s Hamdy Fathy in the penalty area. The initial call was, however, rescinded after a VAR check.Four minutes later, Al Sadd extended their advantage as Giovani Henrique found the back of the net after seizing the ball from Al Wakrah’s Lucas Mendes and executing a left-footed shot from the center of the box.Al Wakrah had a chance to reduce the deficit in the 55th minute when Lucas Verissimo was brought down by Al Sadd’s Pau Prim in the penalty area. Nevertheless, the resulting penalty was missed by Berkane.Berkane, however, atoned for his miss two minutes later as he latched on to a rebound from Aissa Laidouni to cut the deficit for The Blue Wave with a beautiful scissors kick from the centre of the box.The Algerian striker stunned The Wolves with his brace, deep in the penalty area, in the 73rd minute as Al Wakrah drew level with their hosts to ensure the tie ended a point apiece.Al Duhail moved to fifth in the table as they thrashed Al Arabi 8-1 at the Al Thumama Stadium. Goals for Al Duhail came from Krzysztof Piatek (third minute), Al Hashmi Al Hussain (26th minute own goal), Sultan Al Brake (34th minute), Luis Alberto (38th & 60th minutes), Adil Boulbina (51st and 68th minute penalty) and Benjamin Bourigeaud (78th minute penalty). Al Arabi’s only goal was scored by Pablo Sarabia (23rd minute).Al Arabi made matters worse for themselves when Keddari committed a foul in the 66th minute to be shown the red card after a second yellow. The Red Knights opened scoring with a fabulous header from Piatek off an Al Brake cross. Sarabia equalized for Al Arabi, striking on a second attempt against defenders.Al Hussain’s header while defending conceded an own goal as Al Duhail regained lead at 2-1 and just did not stop from there on. Al Brake struck a long ranger for the spectacular third goal.Boulbina also showed presence of mind as he flicked one over the goalkeeper for his team’s fifth goal.Al Duhail’s Piatek missed a penalty strike in the ninth minute shooting wide left of the target and later he struck the top left post in the 41st minute.At the Khalifa International Stadium, Al Shamal and Al Gharafa played a goalless draw. The captivating match puts an end to Al Shamal's impeccable 100 per cent win rate, having lost points for the first time in the season. They hold a three-point advantage over Qatars SC, who are in action Sunday.The encounter featured numerous missed opportunities in the first half, prominent was Al Shamal’s Baghdad Bounedjah’s obvious sitter, which he disappointingly directed at the goalkeeper, followed by a rebound that he headed against the post in the 37th minute, much to the dismay of the entire stadium.The latter half closely resembled the initial one, as both teams had chances to overturn the stalemate but failed to capitalise on them.With the match seemingly winding down, Al Gharafa’s Ferjani Sassi missed the last obvious chance of the day after his header from the centre of the box, following an assist by Yacine Brahimi in one minute of added time, went just inches wide to the left.

Al Shorta will have to dust off rust when they host Al Sadd SC in their opening AFC Champions League Elite 2025/26 tie Monday.Al Shorta have yet to kick off their Iraqi domestic campaign while reigning Qatar champions Al Sadd will have the benefit of having already played several competitive matches.Both sides endured contrasting fortunes on the continental stage last season - Al Shorta's campaign ended in the League Stage while Al Sadd advanced to the quarter-finals."I'm happy to be in Baghdad, and I hope the match will be enjoyable for the fans," Al Sadd coach Felix Sanchez said Sunday. "We realize the importance of the tournament with its new format."What's most important now is for the players to be in the best possible condition for the match," he added.Al Sadd defender Tarqe Salman said Sunday: "A strong and somewhat a difficult match awaits us against the Shorta. Our loss against Al Shahaniya was a setback (in QSL), but we are capable of getting back on the right track."It will be a first meeting between the sides and the two will be determined to start on the front foot with Al Shorta having never won their opening AFC Champions League match while 2011 champions Al Sadd are winless in their last six curtain raisers.Al Shorta, in fact, only managed a single victory as they finished 11th in the League Stage last season.Al Sadd will be confident of taking the points, having ended a three-season wait by advancing to the knockout stage last season and the mercurial Akram Afif - who was involved in goals in each of his last five AFC Champions League Elite matches - will be expected to lead their charge.Sharjah FC (UAE) v Al Gharafa SCSharjah FC and Al Gharafa SC will target an opening day win when they square off in the AFC Champions League Elite 2025/26 Monday.UAE's Sharjah will be aiming to maintain their momentum from their AFC Champions League Two 2024/25 triumph while Qatar's Al Gharafa will be determined to avoid last season's league stage exit.The sides have kicked off their respective domestic forms relatively well, with Sharjah in the upper half of the standings.Al Gharafa defeated Al Sailiya 2-0 on Friday to sit third in the Qatar Stars League standings and will look forward to a first meeting with Sharjah.The UAE side, who were held 2-2 by Khor Fakkan in their league tie on Friday, will be determined to maximise home ground advantage, with Sharjah having a poor record against teams from Qatar on the continental stage - having only won once in six previous encounters.Al Gharafa will be keen to avoid last season's troubles on the continental stage, where they won only two of their matches to finish 10th in the standings.

Al Shahania stunned defending champions Al Sadd 1-0 to secure their first win in the Qatar Stars League at the Al Bayt Stadium Friday.Shahania’s successful strike came in the 23rd minute, with Pelle van Amersfoort scoring intelligently after being in a one-on-one situation with Al Sadd’s Pedro Miguel in front of the goal. The Dutch player chose to lob the ball which went on to hit the top right post before going into the net.A sizzling second half had Al Sadd launching several robust attacks but in vain including a 56th minute Pau Prim powerful strike from outside the box which hit the crossbar.Goalkeeper Shehab Ellethy excelled under the bar for Al Shahania. Among his many saves was a standout in the 28nd minute when he leapt high to punch away a strong Youcef Atal shot.The result took Shahania’s tally to four points while displaying their strong defence which foiled many Al Sadd attempts to equalise, especially in the second half. Al Sadd suffered a second loss in the league and their tally remained on six points.Piatek hat-trick powers Duhail to victoryPolish striker Krzysztof Piatek scored a hat-trick as Al Duhail notched their first win, prevailing 4-2 over Umm Salal at the Khalifa International Stadium.Umm Salal led 2-1 at half-time, but Al Duhail hit back with three goals in the second session. The result took Al Duhail to four points, while Umm Salal’s tally remained on three.The fast-paced game saw its first big thrill in the 27th minute with Umm Salal’s Oussama Tannane essaying a brilliant free kick from 10 yards outside the box and which swung left and dipped into the net.Al Duhail hit back three minutes later with Luis Alberto slotting in a cross from Adil Boulbina. Umm Salal struck back (34th minute) with Cristo Perez striking on a second attempt after Tannane provided the cross after initiating a quick move off a throw in.Piatek scored in the 61st minute as he chested a Marco Verratti pass before putting the ball into the goal. Minutes later, Umm Salal’s Kouassi fouled Mobarak Shanan inside the box incurring a penalty. Piatek scored from the spot (65th minute).In the added time (90+9 minute), Mobarak was felled by Umm Salal’s Nasser Al Ahrak and a penalty was given following VAR check. Piatek stepped up and scored completing his hat-trick.Brahimi stars as Gharafa beat SailiyaAl Gharafa defeated Al Sailiya 2-0 at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium. The win took The Cheetahs’ tally to nine points, while Al Sailiya are yet to open their account.Al Gharafa’s Algerian star Yacine Brahimi was instrumental in both of his team’s goals, while Tunisian Ferjani Sassi scored one and assisted Brahimi in the other.The first half ended goalless, but Al Gharafa struck soon in the second (53rd minute), with Sassi making a fine header to a swinging corner kick of Brahimi from the right.Brahimi himself fetched the second goal in stoppage time (90+2 minute) as he weaved past defenders to strike from about five yards outside the box and past a diving goalkeeper into the left corner. Brahimi was named player of the match.

The Spanish coach Felix Sanchez of Al Sadd emphasized the significant importance of the upcoming match against Al Gharafa, scheduled for Thursday, in the marquee fixture of the third round of the Doha Bank Stars League.Speaking to the media ahead of their 2025-2026 season Doha Bank Stars League Week 3 match against Al Gharafa, Al Sadd coach Felix Sanchez said, "We expect a difficult match. Al Gharafa have started the season strongly, but we are confident of putting in a good performance on home turf and in front of our fans towards achieving a positive result."It's important for us to regain our balance after the first match. I think we performed well last week and showed improvement, and we want to continue building on that to compete at our best in front of our fans."It is important for us to win the last match before the FIFA international break. It's important to enter the break feeling positive. We certainly want to achieve another good result for the team."Al Gharafa coach Pedro Martins said, "Koeman's return to training will give the team greater options. The match will be exciting and difficult against the defending champions. We must focus defensively without compromising our style and identity. Calm and focus are our path to achieving our goals.""Your support makes the difference. We rely on you in difficult moments, and I trust your strong presence to support the players."