QNB Stars League - Week 8 highlights
The 2020-21 season QNB Stars League’s Week 8 matches were played on Tuesday, December 8th and Wednesday, December 9th respectively at different stadiums in Qatar, and a total of 18 goals were scored - an average of three goals per game.
At the end of the fixtures, Al Sadd retained the top position with a 4-1 victory over Al Wakrah. The Wolves moved on to 22 points with an unbeaten record, the only team to do so thus far in the tournament.
Al Gharafa displaced Al Ahli from the second spot by beating them by a 4-0 margin. The Cheetahs have 18 points, whereas Al Ahli slipped to third with 16 points.
Reigning champions Al Duhail suffered a 1-2 defeat at the hands of Al Sailiya and slipped from fourth to sixth place with 12 points. The Peregrines moved from eighth to seventh with 11 points.
The league’s Week 9 matches will be played on Sunday, 13th December, and Monday, 14th December, 2020, with three games on each day. Al Sadd, Al Duhail and Al Ahli Stadiums will be the venues.
Qatar SC 3 vs Al Khor 0
Date: Wednesday, December 9, 2020
Venue: Al Duhail Stadium
Qatar SC blanked Al Khor 3-0 at the Al Duhail Stadium on Wednesday with new recruit Youcef Belaili scoring a brace (39th and 72nd minutes) while Hamed Ismail contributed a goal in the 20th-minute goal as Qatar SC achieved a hat-trick of back-to-back victories in the tournament.
The Kings had beaten Al Wakrah 1-0 in Week 6 and Al Arabi 3-0 in Week 7. They now have four wins and 12 points.
Al Khor, with their fourth defeat, now occupy the bottom position with four points. Qatar SC showed their attacking prowess from the start, with Belaili and Anthony Okpotu leading their charge, and the latter tested rival goalkeeper Baba Djibril as early as the fifth minute.
Hamed volleyed in an Okpotu cross from the right that beat a diving Djibril, who was then beaten hands down by Belaili’s rising shot from distance as Qatar SC cruised to a 2-0 lead. Okpotu had a shot deflected out by Al Khor defender Robert Melki.
Belaili missed a penalty towards the close of first half as his shot was blocked by Djibril. The penalty was awarded when Al Khor captain Helal Mohammed fouled Qatar SC’s Under-23 player Yousef Ayman.
Al Ahli 0 vs Al Gharafa 4
Date: Wednesday, December 9, 2020
Venue: Al Ahli Stadium
Al Gharafa had it easy against Al Ahli, winning 4-0 at the Al Ahli Stadium on Wednesday.
A double from Jonathan Kodjia (14th and 25th minutes), and a goal from Othman Al Yahri (35th) powered Al Gharafa to their sixth win of the season. Al Ahli’s Shane Lowry scored an own goal in the 52nd minute to add to The Cheetahs’ tally.
Al Gharafa leapfrogged Al Ahli to the second position with 18 points as the latter remained on 16 points after suffering their second defeat.
The Al Ahli vs Al Gharafa match got off to a fast start and in just the second minute, Al Ahli captain Omid Ebrahimi curled in a free-kick from distance, but it was slapped away by Al Gharafa keeper Salah Zakaria.
Al Gharafa opened the scoring after a keeper’s gaffe and alertness on Kodjia’s part. Al Ahli keeper Ivanildo Rodrigues jumped high to catch a loopy long cross from an Al Gharafa player on the flank. Rodrigues fumbled and dropped the ball next to Kodjia. The tall striker quickly smashed the ball into the top of the net.
Two minutes later, Al Ahli skipper Ebrahimi produced a snap-header off a corner kick that narrowly slipped past the Al Gharafa crossbar.
Umm Salal 1 vs Al Kharaitiyat 0
Date: Wednesday, December 9, 2020
Venue: Al Ahli Stadium
Umm Salal beat Al Kharaitiyat 1-0 at the Al Ahli Stadium on Wednesday courtesy of a 90th minute penalty kick converted by Kayke Rodrigues after Al Kharaitiyat’s Alhaje Mohammed’s handball infringement.
It was Umm Salal’s second win, which gave them a tally of seven points. Al Kharaitiyat stood on six points following their sixth defeat.
Al Arabi 1 vs Al Rayyan 1
Date: Tuesday, December 8, 2020
Venue: Al Sadd Stadium
Al Arabi and Al Rayyan played out a 1-1 draw at the Al Sadd Stadium on Tuesday.
Abdulaziz Hatem and Abdulaziz Al Ansari scored for Al Rayyan and Al Arabi in the 19th and 35th minute respectively.
Al Arabi moved on to six points and Al Rayyan 12. It was draw No.3 for both Al Arabi and Al Rayyan.
After a cagey start to the week’s signature match featuring teams with perhaps the largest fan base in Qatar football, Al Rayyan captain Yacine Brahimi produced a powerful shot from just outside the Al Arabi box in the eighth minute, but the ball was deflected by Aron Gunnarsson who lunged forward and thrust his leg in the ball’s path. Al Arabi goalkeeper Sataa Al Abbasi quickly snapped the shot that had lost its sting by the deflection.
Abdulaziz Hatem opened the scoring through a spectacular shot from outside the Al Arabi box. After receiving a short pass from the midfield, he outpaced his marker Marc Martinez and unleashed a powerful left-footed drive that went through the palms of the goalkeeper and into the net.
In the 23rd minute, Al Rayyan’s Ivory Coast striker Yohan Boli barged into the Al Arabi box, but his shot from close range was blocked by defender Abdulla Al Marafi, who slipped in to deflect the ball away.
In the 35th minute, striker Sebastian Soria helped Al Arabi draw parity. Lurking inside the Al Rayyan box with a marker close by, he back-heeled a short cross to an unmarked Al Ansari who fired a right-footed drive into the top of Al Rayyan net, leaving keeper Fahad Younis rooted to his spot.
The second half started in exciting fashion, but it failed to produce another goal and the teams settled for yet another draw.
Al Wakrah 1 vs Al Sadd 4
Date: Tuesday, December 8, 2020
Venue: Al Duhail Stadium
Al Sadd defeated Al Wakrah 4-1 at the Al Duhail Stadium on Tuesday.
Hassan Al Haydous (third minute), Abdelkarim Hassan (14th minute), Baghdad Bounedjah (71st minute) and Akram Afif (77th minute) scored for Al Sadd, who moved on to 22 points with their seventh victory and an unbeaten record, the only team to do so thus far in the tournament.
Al Wakrah's goal was scored by Ousmane Coulibaly in the 69th minute.
Al Wakrah stood on 10 points following their fourth defeat.
The Wolves were in attacking mode from the start and they cruised to an early lead, with Al Haydous finding the target with a placing shot off an assist from Abdelkarim.
The left-back then turned the taker of a goal with a long shot, with Santi Cazorla setting him up.
Al Sadd dominated the rivals and could have scored more had it not been for bad luck.
Al Duhail 1 vs Al Sailiya 2
Date: Tuesday, December 8, 2020
Venue: Al Duhail Stadium
Al Sailiya beat holders Al Duhail 2-1 at the Al Duhail Stadium on Tuesday.
Goals from Mohanad Ali (20minute) and Serigne Mbodji (38th minute) powered Al Sailiya to their third win.
Al Duhail’s late goal came through Eduardo Rodrigues (Dudu) in stoppage time (90+4).
Al Sailiya now have 11 points, while Al Duhail remained on 12 points following their fourth defeat.
In the 20th minute, in their first proper attack on Al Duhail goal, Al Sailiya scored. Mohanad pounced on a loose deflection following a corner kick and slipped in the ball past keeper Mohammed Al Bakri. It was the Iraqi striker’s sixth goal of the season.
Al Sailiya jumped to a 2-0 lead with a well-placed header by Mbodji off a corner kick by Nadir Belhadj. The towering Senegalese defender jumped high over his marker and connected well for his team’s second goal on the swinging corner kick taken by Belhadj.
In the dying seconds of the match, Eduardo tapped the ball into the net from close range for Al Duhail’s consolation goal.
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