Al Sadd’s Akram Afif (right) celebrates with teammate Roberto Firmino after scoring the team’s second goal.
DOHA: Reigning champions Al Sadd bounced back in the Qatar Stars League (QSL) with a solid 2-0 win over Al Ahli, while Qatar SC climbed to the top of the standings after seeing off Al Sailiya with the same scoreline yesterday.
Pedro Miguel opened the scoring for Al Sadd before Akram Afif sealed the victory late in the game, assisted by Roberto Firmino, who made his first start after coming off the bench in the previous match.
The result came as a relief for coach Felix Sanchez after the Wolves suffered a shock defeat to Qatar SC in their season opener.
Al Sadd looked sharper from the start, dominating possession and creating multiple chances, though they went into half-time goalless at Al Thumama Stadium.
Qatar SC players celebrate during the match against Al Sailiya.
Set up by Claudinho, Firmino fluffed a golden opportunity near the penalty spot early in the first half. Pedro Miguel also came close just after the half-hour mark, lofting an Afif assist wide following a swift counterattack.
The breakthrough came in the 57th minute when Pedro Miguel struck clinically from the edge of the box, placing his shot into the right corner to put Al Sadd ahead.
Al Ahli came close to equalising during a thrilling spell after the 70-minute mark. Ibrahima Diallo’s effort from a counterattack was blocked by Meshaal Barsham, moments after goalkeeper Yazan Naim denied Afif with a smart save.
But the Qatar star finally got on the scoresheet in the 90th minute. Latching onto an angular through pass, Afif rounded the advancing Naim and slotted into an empty net to secure Al Sadd’s first three points of the season.
Qatar SC maintain fine start
Riding high after their win over Al Sadd, Marquez Lopez’s Qatar SC kept their momentum going with a fine performance against Al Sailiya, despite the scoreline staying level for most of the match at Al Bayt Stadium.
They dominated proceedings and carved out several scoring chances, the best of which came in the 19th minute when Raoul Sanda squandered a close-range rebound, firing wide after Joao Pedro’s long-range strike was blocked.
Al Sailiya had a rare moment of promise in the second half when Mohamed Hassan Al-Taabouni rattled the post with a powerful angled shot.
Qatar SC’s persistence paid off in the 82nd minute. Lukas Kalvach broke the deadlock with a brilliant long-range strike, curling the ball into the bottom right corner beyond a diving Fahad Younis.
Al Sailiya had a golden chance to equalise in the 89th minute from the spot, but captain Mohamed Benyettou’s penalty was saved superbly by Ali Nader Mahmoud, diving to his right. Joao Pedro then put the game to bed in the 10th minute of stoppage time, converting from the spot with calm precision to give Qatar SC back-to-back wins and the top spot.
Today, Al Gharafa will take on Al Arabi at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, aiming for their second win of the season. Al Arabi, meanwhile, are chasing their first victory after a 2-2 draw with Al Wakrah in their opener.
At Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, Al Rayyan and Al Shamal will face off, each hoping to maintain their perfect start after opening wins.
