Al Rayyan will look to extend their lead in the next round of a goalless draw against Al Gharafa on Sunday.
Doha, Qatar: Al Rayyan remain at the top of the Qatar Stars League but the pressure is building behind them after a sixth round that saw Al Sadd suffer another setback, Al Duhail strengthen their challenge and Al Arabi make a statement with a six-goal rout.
A goalless draw against Al Gharafa kept Al Rayyan on 14 points, two clear of three teams locked on 12. The leaders had chances to extend their advantage, with Roger Guedes hitting the crossbar, but Al Gharafa goalkeeper Khalifa Ababacar stood firm to deny them a winning goal.
“We created opportunities but just couldn’t convert; their goalkeeper, Khalifa, was in great form. We really wanted to win for our fans, both those in the stadium and those watching from home, but it wasn’t meant to be. Hopefully, we’ll bounce back in the next match,” Al Rayyan’s Ahmed Alaa said.
Alaa stressed that the team were concentrating on each match rather than the standings. They will look to protect their lead when they visit bottom side Al Sailiya on Friday, with the hosts coming off their first point of the season after Joselu’s stoppage-time equaliser against Qatar SC.
Al Sadd, meanwhile, are searching for answers after a dramatic reversal in fortunes. Having won their first four league matches, the defending champions have now lost to Al Arabi and Al Duhail, with Sunday’s 3-2 defeat following their AFC Champions League Elite loss to Al Hilal last week.
Al Sadd recovered from two goals down to level before half-time against Al Duhail, but substitute Tahseen Mohammed Jamshid struck in stoppage time to seal the victory. The defeat left Al Sadd with three successive losses across competitions.
“The match was decided by small details. Unfortunately, we made a few defensive errors that proved costly,” goalkeeper Meshaal Barsham said.
“This is a difficult phase for us. None of us, the players, management, coaching staff or fans, can accept three successive losses. We must get back on the right track, and hopefully the next match will be the turning point.”
Al Sadd have little time to dwell on the setback, with a meeting against Al Shahania on Thursday offering an opportunity to respond. Their opponents, however, will be looking to recover from a 6-0 defeat to Al Arabi, who are level with Al Sadd and
Al Duhail on 12 points.
Al Duhail’s improvement has been another feature of the campaign. Their win over Al Sadd, secured by Tahseen’s late strike, reinforced their position among the leading contenders. Bassam Al Rawi said his side were taking the season one step at a time after overcoming a tough opponent.
Al Arabi’s emphatic victory, meanwhile, strengthened their challenge and set up an important test against Al Wakrah on Saturday.
Al Duhail will host Lusail, who continued their promising debut season by holding Al Shamal to a goalless draw. The result left Lusail ninth on six points, while Al Shamal remained fifth with nine.
Al Wakrah are sixth on eight points, followed by Al Ahli and Al Shahania on seven. Al Gharafa sit 10th with five points, Qatar SC have three, and Al Sailiya remain bottom with one.
The upcoming matches will test both ends of the table as Al Rayyan will aim to maintain their cushion, while Al Sadd need a response to stop their slide and keep pace with the teams directly around them.
