Al-Sadd endured a disappointing 1-3 defeat against Al-Duhail, in the Expo Stars League Week 20 clash, which was played on Friday at the Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium.
The loss saw Al-Sadd’s points tally remain at 43, while they stayed top of the table. Akram Afif scored the solitary goal for Al-Sadd in the third minute of injury time. Meanwhile, Al-Duhail scored through Almoez Ali (40′), Michael Olunga (57′), and Sultan Al-Breik (68′).
The match kicked off with both teams displaying immense energy and determination. Al-Sadd took control early on, particularly dominating the midfield. Their aggressive intent was evident when Mohammed Waad struck a powerful shot in the 10th minute, only to be denied by the crossbar of Al-Duhail.
However, Al-Duhail had their moments too. In the 14th minute, they were awarded a penalty after a challenge involving Al-Sadd’s Musaab Khidir and Ismail Mohammed. Almoez Ali stepped up, but his effort went over the crossbar, sparing Al-Sadd from conceding.
Al-Sadd continued to push forward, with Baghdad Bounedjah coming close to finding the net in the 28th minute. Al-Duhail’s goalkeeper thwarted his attempt, deflecting it for a corner kick. Despite several attacking forays, including a promising move orchestrated by Paulo Otavio, Al-Sadd failed to breach Al-Duhail’s defense.
The deadlock was broken in the 40th minute when Almoez capitalized on an opportunity to put Al-Duhail ahead, converting a pass from the right.
Just before halftime, Al-Sadd found an equalizer through Akram Afif, who finished off a pass from Gonzalo Plata during injury time, leveling the score at 1-1.
The second half saw Al-Duhail reclaiming the lead in the 57th minute, courtesy of a goal from the Kenyan striker Michael Olunga. Sultan Al-Breik extended their advantage with a finish from a tight angle in the 68th minute.
Despite Al-Sadd’s relentless efforts to narrow the deficit, they were unable to find a breakthrough. As the final whistle blew, Al-Duhail emerged victorious with a 3-1 scoreline.
