Al Duhail were indomitable yesterday as they bounced back strongly after a shock defeat, thrashing Al Ahli 6-0 in their Week 11 clash at the QNB Stars League (QSL).
There was no respite for The Brigadiers at their own Al Ahli Stadium as the Red Knights were dominant throughout the tie, showing huge improvement following their loss to Umm Salal in Week 10.
After Talal Abdulla Bahzad’s own goal in the fourth minute, Al Duhail fired three more goals in the first half, adding a couple in the final session to complete the rout.
Al Duhail, with 25 points, are now three points behind leaders Al Sadd, who are yet to play their Week 11 clash.
Against Al Ahli yesterday, Al Duhail were accurate in passing, dominating the match with around 75 percent of ball possession. The Luis Castro-coached side made 11 shots on target against hapless Al Ahli, who slipped to 10th spot following the defeat.
After Bahzad’s own goal, Michael Olunga doubled the lead three minutes later putting the ball in off a rebound from goalkeeper Yazan Naim Hussein after Nam Tae-hee’s fine strike from outside the box.
Tae-hee scored Al Duhail’s third goal in the 28th minute before captain Almoez Ali made it 4-0, a minute before the half-time.
The Red Knights scored two more goals through Abdullah Al Ahrak (71’) and Edmilson Junior (80’) to seal an emphatic victory.
“We made our task easier by scoring early goals,” Al Duhail’s Assem Madbo said after the match yesterday.
“We needed to show a strong performance after suffering defeat against Umm Salal and I am happy the way we have played today. We need to continue with this performance in the remaining season,” he added.
Al Ahli coach Nebojsa Jovovic, meanwhile, said the team must learn from mistakes after the heavy loss.
“I want to congratulate Al Duhail for this victory because they showed a strong performance. They had a bright start in the match, which decided the result,” he said.
“We must learn from this game particularly from the lessons in the first half. Now we have to focus on the next match to make a strong comeback,” said Jovovic.
Al Rayyan edge Al Shamal
Earlier, at the Al Ahli Stadium, Laurent Blanc-coached Al Rayyan defeated Al Shamal 2-1, improving two places to 8th position with 12 points.
Both The Lions goals were scored in the first half, with Hashem Ali (24’) and Yacine Brahimi (41’) on target.
Al Shamal fought back with Muath Yahya’s goal in the 68th minute but Al Rayyan denied them an equaliser to claim much-needed three points in their quest for a top-4 finish.
Al Rayyan, however, could have scored another goal but Brahimi wasted a penalty in the 39th minute. Late in the match, Al Rayyan also saw their penalty denied by VAR.
Al Gharafa blank Al Sailiya
Meanwhile, fourth-placed Al Gharafa continued their impressive run in the QSL as they blanked Al Sailiya 3-0 at the Al Gharafa Stadium.
Almahdi Ali scored the opener in 32nd minute with Ahmed Alaaeldin doubling the advantage for the home side three minutes later.
Gabiel Perez completed the victory with a strike in 67th minute as Al Gharafa moved to 19 points with their sixth victory.
It was eighth defeat for Al Sailiya, who are placed 11th in the standings.
QSL postpones Al Sadd’s tie against Al Wakrah
The Qatar Stars League management yesterday postponed Al Sadd’s Week 11 clash against depleted Al Wakrah, with several of their players contracting coronavirus. The match was scheduled to be played at the Al Arabi Stadium today.
The management said the new date for the match will be announced by the Competitions Committee.
While Al Sadd are leading the standings, Al Wakrah are fifth on the table with 16 points.
