Al-Sadd opened their 2021-22 QNB Stars League campaign with a 2-0 win over Al-Sailiya in the Round 1 game which was played at Thani bin Jassim Stadium on Sunday.
Goals from Khoukhi Boualem and Rodrigo Tabata in the first half delivered the three points for the Wolves. The result means Al-Sadd are third in the league table after the end of the first round, tied on points with Al-Duhail and Al-Gharafa, but behind on goal difference.
Al-Sadd started the game on the front foot and threatened early on, with Baghdad Bounedjah’s header coming off the crossbar.
Khoukhi then opened the scoring in the 23rd minute, finishing from inside the box after a squared pass from Baghdad Bounedjah. Ten minutes later, Bounedjah registered another assist, this time setting up Rodrigo Tabata after a quick move also involving Akram Afif. Tabata made no mistake from close range to double the lead.
There would be no more goals in the game with the intensity dropping markedly as the clock ticked on in the second half. Al-Sadd held on for the match points and began their title defence on a winning note.
MATCH DETAILS
Al-Sadd x Al-Sailiya (QNB Stars League 2021-22 – Round 1)
Venue:
Thani bin Jassim Stadium
Lineups:
Al-Sadd: Meshaal Barsham, Pedro Miguel (Musaab Khidir), Jung Woo-young, Hassan Al Haydos (Ali Asad), Baghdad Bounedjah (Yusuf Abdurisag), Rodrigo Tabata (Mohammed Waad), Guilherme, Boualem Khoukhi, Tarek Salman, Akram Afif (Ahmed Sayyar), Andre Ayew
Al-Sailiya: Abdelrahman Aziz, Rami Fayez, Kara M’bodji, Mustafa Abdelhamid (Saad Hussein), Ali Jasemi, Majdi Siddiq, Adel Bader, Driss Fettouhi, Ramin Rezaeian (Mohammed Muddather), Mohammed Salah (Fahad Khalfan), Adama Diomande
Result:
Al-Sadd won 2-0
Goals:
Khoukhi Boualem 23′
Rodrigo Tabata 33′
Bookings:
Mustafa Abdelhamid 12′
Andre Ayew 53′
Jung Woo-young 59′
Musaab Khidir 62′
Ramin Rezaeian 64′
Referees:
Main referee: Yousef Al-Sharshani
Assistant referee: Zahy Al-Shammari
Assistant referee: Mohammed Abdulla
Fourth official: Mohammed Nasser Ahmed
