Al Gharafa's Ferjani Sassi (left) celebrates with teammates.
Doha, Qatar: Rodrigo Moreno and Ferjani Sassi were on target as Al Gharafa defeated Al Ahli 2-0 to climb to second place in the Ooredoo Stars League yesterday.
Al Shahania also moved up to seventh place with 14 points after staging a 2-1 comeback win over nine-man Al Khor in a match that saw three red cards.
Igor Biscan’s Al Ahli were aiming to draw level with leaders Al Duhail but they were undone by a solid Al Gharafa side, who now sit on 27 points – just one behind the Red Knights and two ahead of Al Sadd and Al Ahli. Both Al Duhail and Al Sadd are set to play their respective games today.
After a cagey start at Thani Bin Jassim Stadium, Al Gharafa took the lead in the 35th minute, with Moreno lobbing the ball over goalkeeper Marwan Badreldin following a precise pass from Ahmed Al Ganehi.
Goalkeeper Khalifa Ababacar preserved Al Gharafa’s lead before halftime, brilliantly thwarting a long-range effort from Abdulrahman Fahmi Moustafa.
Joselu spearheaded Al Gharafa’s attacks in the second half, with Sassi doubling their lead in the 56th minute after an assist from Yacine Brahimi as the Cheetahs secured their sixth straight win.
At Suhaim Bin Hamad Stadium, Ibrahim Kala put Al Khor ahead in the 28th minute with a strike from the center of the box, assisted by Aitor Garcia Flores following a swift counterattack from the left.
However, Al Khor’s hopes were dented by two red cards – Ruben Semedo was sent off in the 34th minute following a VAR check after he pulled down Pelle van Amersfoort. Abdalaziz Al Hssia was also dismissed in the 79th minute for a reckless tackle on Al Shahania’s Mohammed Ibrahim.
Al Shahania capitalised on their numerical advantage, leveling the scores through Mohammad Abu Shanab in the 80th minute before Amersfoort sealed the victory in the 85th minute.
Just two minutes before securing the win, Al Shahania were also reduced to 10 men when Francesco Antonucci received his second yellow card in the fifth minute of stoppage time.
Al Shahania have now moved ahead of Al Wakrah and Umm Salal, who will play their respective matches tomorrow. Al Khor remain at the bottom with seven points.
Our goal is to win all remaining matches: Al Rayyan coach
Meanwhile, Al Rayyan coach Artur Jorge said that his team is determined to secure a victory against Al Duhail at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium today.
Currently placed fifth with 16 points, the Lions are aiming to close the gap on title contenders as they face the league leaders, to whom they suffered a 4-0 defeat in their first match.
“It’s a tough match, but our goal is clear – to win all the remaining matches. We must turn challenges into motivation to achieve victories and advance further in the standings,” Jorge said.
On the other hand, Al Duhail coach Christophe Galtier emphasised his team’s complete focus on the match.
“We will approach the match with our usual seriousness and focus. I have worked closely with the assistant staff on strategies to recover possession, impose our style and prevent the opponents from holding the ball for extended periods,” Galtier said.
Later today, defending champions Al Sadd will host Qatar SC at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, eyeing maximum points.
“We all need points and we are fully aware that it will be a strong and challenging match. Paying attention to details will be crucial,” said Al Sadd coach Felix Sanchez.
Struggling at 11th place with 10 points, Qatar SC are hoping for a positive result against the title holders.
“This match holds great importance for us. We held a session with the players and agreed on the need to deliver our best possible performance to return to positive results and climb to a position that reflects Qatar SC’s true potential,” said Qatar SC coach Youssef Safri.
OSL Round 13
RESULTS
Al Shahania beat Al Khor 2-1
Al Gharafa beat Al Ahli 2-0
Today
4:30pm: Al Sadd vs Qatar SC at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium
6:45pm: Al Rayyan vs Al Duhail at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium
Tomorrow
4:30pm: Al Shamal vs Umm Salal at Al Khor Stadium
6:45pm: Al Wakrah vs Al Arabi at Stadium 974
