Al-Sadd defeated Umm Salal 3-1 in their QNB Stars League Round 7 game which was played at the Thani bin Jassim Stadium on Friday.
This result ensures that the Wolves remain top of the QNB Stars League table with 19 points from 7 games. Akram Afif (35’), Santi Cazorla (50’), and Hassan Al-Haydos (90+1’) scored for Al-Sadd, while Roozbeh Cheshmi (40’) netted the lone goal for Umm Salal.
The two sides were cautious at the beginning of the game and there were no real chances early on, especially with Umm Salal playing with a defensive approach that did not allow Al-Sadd to build attacks.
The Wolves kept on applying pressure and the first opportunity came in the 28th minute, when Musab Khidir went up on the right wing and sent in a cross but the danger was averted by the Umm Salal defence.
In the 35th minute, Al-Sadd finally scored. Santi Cazorla’s aerial ball was controlled by Baghdad Bounedjah before it fell in front of Akram Afif, who made no mistake with his finish past Baba Malick.
Five minutes later, Umm Salal replied through a rare foray up front. The Al-Sadd defence failed to clear the ball following a free-kick delivery into the box, and Roozbeh Cheshmi bundled it in from close range to level the score.
The first half thus ended with a 1-1 stalemate, but Al-Sadd got back in front after the break. In the 50th minute, Santi Cazorla dispatched a penalty that was awarded for Omar Yahya’s foul on Afif in the box.
Xavi made his first two substitutions in the 61st minute, sending on Abdelkarim Hassan and Hassan Al-Haydos in place of Mohammed Waad and Rodrigo Tabata. Al-Haydos would go on to score Al-Sadd’s third goal in the first minute of stoppage time, dribbling into the box from the right and finishing past Malick.
MATCH DETAILS
Al Sadd x Umm Salal (QNB Stars League Round 7)
Venue:
Thani bin Hamad Stadium
Lineups:
Al-Sadd: Meshaal Barsham, Tarek Salman (Pedro), Musaab Khidir (Khoukhi Boualem), Jung Woo-young, Mohammed Waad (Abdelkarim Hassan), Guilherme, Santi Cazorla, Rodrigo Tabata (Hassan Al Haydos), Akram Afif, Nam Tae-hee (Hashim Ali), Baghdad Bounedjah
Umm Salal: Baba Malick, Omar Yahya, Roozbeh Cheshmi, Aymen Abdennour, Ismail Ebrahim, Lawrence Quaye, Moses Orkuma, Adel Alawi, Nasser Al Yazidi, Rabeh Yahya, Ismail Mahmoud
Result:
Al-Sadd won 3-1
Goals:
Akram Afif 35’
Roozbeh Cheshmi 40’
Santi Cazorla 50’
Hassan Al-Haydos 90+1’
Bookings:
Akram Afif 40′
Tarek Salman 45+2′
Omar Yahya 48′
Referees:
Mohammed Al Shammari (main referee)
Jumua Al Burshid (assistant 1)
Abdulmajeed Al Korbi (assistant 2)
Abdulhadi Al Ruwaili (fourth official)
