Al Sadd players celebrate during their match against Al Ahli on Saturday.
Doha, Qatar: The new Qatar Stars League season could hardly have offered a more encouraging start for its leading contenders with Al Sadd, Al Duhail, Al Gharafa and Al Rayyan all collecting three points while two other matches ended in entertaining draws.
For defending champions Al Sadd, the opening victory carried particular importance. The champions looked sharp and purposeful in their 3-1 win over Al Ahli, setting the early standard in a title race that is expected to be closely contested.
Goalkeeper Meshaal Barsham, who played a key role in keeping Al Ahli at bay, believes the champions have learned from their experience last season and must maintain their focus from the outset.
“We faced a strong opponent with high quality. Al Ahli is a tough team, but we are happy with the win and the three points. We entered the match with great focus and a clear desire to achieve victory,” Barsham said.
He added: “The current stage requires double the focus. We will not repeat the mistakes of last season and the start which was not up to the expected level. We will strive from the beginning to deliver the best.”
That determination will be tested quickly when Al Sadd face Qatar SC at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium on Friday. Qatar SC showed their resilience in the opening round to draw 2-2 with Al Wakrah, and should provide the champions with another useful examination.
Al Duhail also began with a composed 2-0 victory over Al Sailiya, with Edmilson Junior scoring twice after the Red Knights had dominated without finding a breakthrough in the first half.
Their next challenge is arguably a bigger one, with Al Arabi awaiting them at Al Bayt Stadium on Saturday after the latter played out a 2-2 against last season’s runners-up Al Shamal.
Al Gharafa needed a late moment of quality to overcome Al Shahania, with new signing Frank Magri scoring twice, including a stoppage-time winner in a 2-1 victory. They now face Al Shamal at Khalifa Stadium on Thursday.
Al Rayyan were also made to work for their three points, edging Lusail 1-0 through Gabriel Pereira.
The newcomers showed enough in their top-flight debut to suggest they can trouble established sides, while Al Rayyan will know there is room for improvement before their Thursday meeting with Al Wakrah at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium.
The opening round also produced a 2-2 draw between Qatar SC and Al Wakrah, while Al Arabi and Al Shamal shared the same scoreline, ensuring the season began with plenty of goals and closely fought contests.
Al Ahli will look to recover against Lusail at Al Thumama Stadium on Friday, while Al Shahania meet Al Sailiya at Lusail Stadium on Saturday.
