Al-Sadd triumphed 3-1 over Al-Duhail in the rescheduled fixture from the ninth week of the 2023-2024 Expo Stars League, on Wednesday evening at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium.
Goals from Akram Afif (57′, 90+13′) and Gonzalo Plata (59′) did the job for Al-Sadd, while Karim Boudiaf (10′) scored for Al-Duhail. The match also saw the expulsion of Al-Duhail’s player Ibrahima Bamba in the 82nd minute.
With this win, Al-Sadd extended their lead in the league to 28 points, with one postponed match remaining against Al-Arabi.
The game witnessed a calm and cautious start, with both teams probing for opportunities in the initial ten minutes, which saw no significant threat to the goalkeepers.
Al-Duhail managed to take the lead in the 10th minute after Karim Boudiaf headed in following a corner from the left.
Al-Sadd nearly equalised in the 15th minute when Paulo Otavio’s shot, following a rebound from the goalkeeper and the crossbar, was cleared away by Al-Duhail’s defense.
In the 33rd minute, Baghdad Bounedjah found the back of the net for Al-Sadd, but the goal was disallowed after a VAR review for an offside call. The first half concluded with Al-Duhail maintaining a 1-0 lead.
The second half saw intensified pressure from Al-Sadd, culminating in Akram Afif converting a penalty in the 57th minute to level the score.
The momentum continued for Al-Sadd, and in the 59th minute, Ecuadorian striker Gonzalo Plata scored the second goal from the edge of the penalty area, through a superb shot with the outside of his boot.
Al-Sadd dominated the latter part of the game, attempting to secure a third goal. In the 13th and final minute of added time, Akram netted his second goal of the match, tapping in with ease after a cross from Bounedjah to seal Al-Sadd’s 3-1 victory.
