Al-Sadd climbed to the top of the QNB Stars League table, after a huge 7-1 win over Al-Ahli in the Round 5 game which was played at the Hamad bin Khalifa Stadium on Sunday evening.
Hashim Ali scored twice for Al-Sadd (5′, 36′), while Rodrigo Tabata (12′), Akram Afif (30′), Santi Cazorla (45′), Nam Tae-hee (58′) and Ahmed Sayyar (90+1′) also got on the scoresheet. Al-Ahli’s lone goal was scored by Nabil El Zhar (54′).
The result took Al-Sadd’s point tally to13, as they overtook Al-Ahli to claim first place in the league table.
The Wolves got off to a great start and scored in the third minute itself, after Hashim Ali deftly curled the ball into the far corner. It was the youngster’s first goal of the season.
The goal gave them the momentum and Tabata went on to make it 2-0 in the 12th minute. Cazorla got a touch to Hashim’s cross from the right, but the ball fell to Tabata who made no mistake from just outside the six-yard box.
At the half-hour mark, Al-Sadd went 3-0 up. Khoukhi Boualem sent a long ball from the back aimed at Afif, and the reigning Asian Player of the Year got past the advancing keeper before wrapping up the move with a crisp finish.
Hashim then returned to score his second of the night six minutes later, receiving a through ball from Cazorla before duly finishing past the keeper.
Right before halftime, the provider got a goal for himself. Afif’s low cross from the left was deflected onto Cazorla’s path by Hashim, and the Spaniard scored with a powerful shot into the top corner to give the Wolves a 5-0 lead.
Al-Ahli were able to pull a goal back following the halftime break, with Nabil El Zhar heading into an empty goal in the 54th minute after the Al-Sadd defence failed to clear the ball from a corner delivery.
Xavi went on to make his first two substitutions in the 57th minute, bringing on Ahmed Sayyar (Cazorla) and Musaab (Pedro).
A minute later, Nam Tae-hee restored Al-Sadd’s five-goal advantage. The South Korean played a one-two with Tabata before taking a shot at goal; Ivanildo blocked it but had no chance with the rebound, as Nam made it 6-1.
In the 66th minute, Khoukhi almost scored the seventh goal with a powerful strike from distance, but the ball came back off the right post.
Xavi then used Al-Sadd’s remaining three substitutions towards the end of the game, as Hossam Kamal (Nam), Bahaa El-Leithi (Tarek Salman) and Mohammed Waad (Hashim) came on.
In stoppage time, Al-Sadd’s seventh and final goal arrived and it was Ahmed Sayyar who got it. The substitute received a pass from Akram inside the box, before turning and calmly finishing past the keeper.
MATCH DETAILS
Al-Sadd x Al-Ahli (QNB Stars League Round 5)
VENUE:
Hamad bin Khalifa Stadium
LINEUPS:
Al-Sadd: Meshaal Barsham, Pedro Miguel (Musaab Khidir), Khoukhi Boualem, Tarek Salman (Bahaa El-Leithi), Jung Woo-young, Hashim Ali (Mohammed Waad), Rodrigo Tabata, Santi Cazorla (Ahmed Sayyar), Nam Tae-hee (Hossam Kamal), Akram Afif, Abdelkarim Hassan
Al-Ahli: Ivanildo, Mohammed Khalid (Fahad Al-Keldi), Shane Lowry, Omid Ebrahimi, Mohammed Abdulnasser, Nabil El-Zhar, Hernan Perez, Jassim Omar, Abdulrashid Umaru, Ali Qaderi, Hazem Shehata (Nasser Saleh)
RESULT:
Al-Sadd won 7-1
GOALS:
Hashim Ali 5′, 36′
Rodrigo Tabata 12′
Akram Afif 30′
Santi Cazorla 45′
Nabil El-Zhar 54′
Nam Tae-hee 58′
Ahmed Sayyar 90+1′
BOOKINGS:
Nam Tae-hee 8′
Pedro Miguel 52′
Hernan Perez 62′
REFEREES:
Abdulhadi Al-Ruwaili (main referee)
Zahi Al-Shammari (assistant)
Faisal Al-Shammari (assistant)
Mohammed Ahmed (fourth official)
