Al-Sadd continued their winning start in the Expo Stars League by defeating Al-Ahli 4-2 in the Round 2 match held at Khalifa International Stadium on Saturday.
With this win, Al-Sadd advanced to 6 points, having won against Umm Salal and Al-Ahli.
Al-Sadd’s goals were scored by Mohammad Amin Hazbavi in the 7th minute, followed by Akram Afif from a penalty kick in the 26th minute, and then Yousuf Abdurisag in the 62nd minute, before Gonzalo Plata added the fourth goal in the 79th minute. Al-Ahli’s goals were scored by Naïm Sliti through two penalty kicks in the 76th and 82nd minutes. The match also witnessed Al-Sadd’s defender Ahmed Suhail receiving a red card in the 74th minute.
The start of the match was strong and fast-paced from Al-Sadd, who took the lead in the 7th minute through Iranian defender Hazbavi. He capitalized being unmarked on a corner kick from the left side and headed the ball into Al-Ahli’s net, marking the first goal for Al-Sadd.
After taking the lead, Al-Sadd players controlled the game, and Akram Afif almost added the second goal in the 11th minute with a shot from outside the penalty area, but Al-Ahli’s goalkeeper, Yazan Naim, pushed it away for a corner kick.
Al-Sadd then managed to score their second goal in the 26th minute from a spot-kick by Akram Afif, who had earned the penalty himself after being fouled in the box.
In the 62nd minute, Al-Sadd extended their lead to three through Yousuf Abdurisag, who expertly capitalized on a well-timed pass from Akram Afif. He found himself one-on-one with Al-Ahli’s goalkeeper and successfully guided the ball into the net despite the defence’s attempts to clear it.
Al-Ahli managed to reduce the deficit in the 76th minute as Naïm Sliti successfully converted a penalty kick, following a foul by Al-Sadd’s last defender Ahmed Suhail, who was subsequently shown a red card by the referee.
Al-Sadd responded promptly as Gonzalo Plata found the back of the net in the 79th minute, securing their fourth goal of the match.
Al-Ahli, however, struck again as Sliti scored his second goal and his team’s second of the game in the 82nd minute, once more from a penalty kick awarded for a handball foul committed by Paulo Otavio.
The match ended with Al-Sadd winning 4-2 after the final whistle.
