Al Sadd’s Jugurtha Hamroun scores their second goal against Al Sailiya during their QNB Stars League match at Al Ahli Stadium yesterday. Picture: Kamutty VP / The Peninsula
Sebastian Soria struck twice as Al Rayyan’s perfect start to the QNB Stars League season continued at the Al Khor stadium with a 3-1 win against Al Kharaitiyat yesterday.
With an energetic looking forward line, Michael Laudrup’s side was straight into action with shots from Mohsine Moutaouali and Gonzalo Viera both saved before another attack saw Abderrazak Hamdallah bring the ball down inside the area and fail to beat the keeper whilst in on goal.
Hamdallah was again denied in the 11th minute after turning two Kharaitiyat players inside before a smart save from Kharaitiyat’s No.1, Saeid Monfared.
The deadlock was finally broken in the 21st minute after Al Rayyan won a free kick 30 yards out.
Captain Rodrigo Tabata stepped up and drilled a free kick that was deflected in off the wall past an outstretched goalkeeper, for the Rayyan captain’s third goal of the season.
The Lions were quickly able to double their advantage when Hamdallah won the ball in the centre of the park before spreading it out wide to Moutaouali who played a superbly weighted ball into the area, which was met by Sebastian Soria to poke home.
Al Kharaitiyat started the second half with renewed vigour and, after a couple of early chances, they were awarded a penalty on 62 as Tiberkanine was impeded. Moroccan Midfielder Diba stepped up and confidently scored to bring the game back to life but Al Rayyan soon restored their advantage. Following some neat play in the area Hamdallah was able to play the ball across the goalkeeper to Soria who tapped in from close range to kill the game off.
Al Sadd picked up second successive full points when a collective effort propelled them to a 3-2 win against Al Sailiya at Al Ahli Stadium yesterday.
Despite the fact that Al Sadd are regarded as one of the favourites to win the Falcon trophy this year, Al Sailiya SC put up a good fight to trouble Xavi Hernandez’s team and took the lead through a brilliant kick from Abdulkareem Salem Al Ali in the 13th minute. Xavi struck just four minutes later to level the score and Al Sadd snatched the lead in the 32nd minute when Jugurtha Hamroun directed the ball to the back of the net. Boualem Ahmad Khoukhi scored Al Sadd’s third goal in the 65th minute to take the game completely away from Al Sailiya. However, there was some strong resistance from Al Sailya in the final minutes of play and Temurkhja Abdukholikov added one more goal to their account as the scores read 3-2 in favour of Jesualdo Ferreira’s men at the final whistle.
In the final match of the day, Qatar SC registered their first win in the QNB Stars League when they outplayed Al Markhiya 1-0 at Al Duhail Stadium.
The game started with both teams sharing the possession of the ball, but had to wait until the eighteenth minute of the game to see the first real chance when the Kings striker Habib Habibou seen his header go wide from a corner.
Gabriel Calderón side continued the pressure on their search for the first goal of the game and came close to doing so when the ball dropped to Central African Republic international Habib Habibou in the box, only to see his shot go wide of the goal.
The deadlock was finally broken in the 23rd minute with a great effort from the Kings midfielder Michael Babatunde. The Nigerian cut in from the wing and managed to beat Al Markhiyas goalkeeper with powerful low shot from 23 yards.
The results leaves Al Markhiya bottom of the QNB Starts League and still searching for their first win of the 2017/2018 campaign
