QNB Stars League - Week 5 highlights
The 2021-2022 QNB Stars League Week 5 matches, played on October 1 and 2 witnessed action galore. Two of the five games ended in draws and nine goals were scored.
Al Sadd handed Al Arabi their second loss of the season with a 4-0 demolition of Al Arabi to stay on top of the table with 15 points and an all-win record, while Gharafa suffered its second loss of the season.
Meanwhile, Al Rayyan finally got to winning ways with their first victory this season, and they are now occupying fifth place while the trio of Umm Salal, Al Ahli and Al Khor are still looking for their first victory.
The match between Al Duhail and Al Wakrah was postponed to a later date due to the health measures that prevented Al Duhail players from participating in training and matches.
Here are the highlights from the matches:
Al Ahli 0 vs Al Rayyan 1
Date: Saturday, October 2, 2021.
Venue: Khalifa International Stadium
Al Rayyan beat Al Ahli 1-0 at the Khalifa International Stadium on Saturday.
Yacine Brahimi (83rd-minute penalty) scored the only goal of the match.
Al Rayyan took their points tally to six with their first victory and Al Ahli stood on three points following their second defeat.
The match got off to a fast-paced start. Al Rayyan’s Hashem Ali picked on a neat cross from the center, but his rushed shot went wayward but still drew applause from coach Laurent Blanc on the touchline in the 10th minute.
A few moments later, Khaled Muftah curled in a left-footed drive, but his shot got deflected off Al Ahli’s Jassem Mohamed Omer. The deflection covered a long distance, but keeper Ivanildo Rodrigues was alert to catch the loopy drop over his head just inches from the goalline.
In the 14th minute, Al Ahli’s Patrick Friday Eze anticipated a long cross from the flank and jumped high for a deflection from close range. Al Rayyan keeper Fahad Younis, however, was in position to block the move.
Eight minutes into the second half, Al Ahli’s Umaru swiveled past Muftah and Shoja Khalilzadeh of Al Rayyan before scoring with a shot past the keeper. But the referee ruled a foul against Umaru, who had seemingly pushed Muftah just before taking the shot at the goal.
In the 83rd minute, following a rough tackle on Muftah inside the Al Ahli box, Al Rayyan opened the scoring when captain Brahimi converted the resultant penalty. Al Ahli’s Marko Jevtovic charged into Muftah with a rough shoulder tackle and the referee quickly pointed to the spot.
In the 88th minute, the referee flashed a red card to Moameen Mutasem for his rough tackle on Al Ahli’s Jasem Mohamed.
Al Gharafa 0 vs Qatar SC 2
Date: Saturday, October 2, 2021
Venue: Al Gharafa Stadium
Qatar SC beat Al Gharafa 2-0 at the Al Gharafa Stadium on Saturday.
Youcef Belaili (70th and 90+2 minutes) scored the goals. The second goal was scored with a shot taken around 50 meters from the Al Gharafa goal.
In the eighth minute, Al Gharafa’s Cheick Diabete caught the entire Qatar SC backline off guard with a solo dash towards the goal. After picking up a cross near the half-line, Diabete charged into the Qatar SC box with incredible speed and scored with an easy flick, but the move was ruled offside.
In the 16th minute, Sofiane Hanni, from the edge of the Qatar SC box, fired a low shot that was a little wayward but it rattled the Qatar SC backline.
Three minutes into the second half, Ahmed Moein had time and space to pick a slot, but his rushed shot slipped past the goalpost to the left of Al Gharafa keeper Yousef Hassan.
A few seconds later, Al Gharafa’s Hanni produced a counter-attack, but his powerful shot from close range was punched away by keeper Al Hail.
Qatar SC managed to break the deadlock when Belaili dribbled past a couple of defenders and fired a bullet to the top of the net.
Just before the final whistle, Belaili scored one of the most spectacular long-range goals in QNB Stars League history. After picking up a loose ball a few feet from the half-line, Belaily drilled a shot that swung late before dipping into the net over the goalkeeper’s head in spectacular fashion.
Umm Salal 1 vs Al Shamal 1
Date: Saturday, October 2, 2021
Venue: Khalifa International Stadium
Umm Salal and Al Shamal shared points after a 1-1 draw at the Khalifa International Stadium on Saturday.
Mohsin Al Yazidi (45+1 minute) scored for Al Shamal. However, after relentless football, Umm Salal equalized through Abdullah Khaled (83rd minute).
The match had its fair share of hits and misses all the way. Earlier in the game, Al Shamal’s Bahaa Faisal charged into the Umm Salal box and fired a shot towards an open goal, but Umm Salal’s Aymen Abdennour blocked the shot with a solo effort just close to his goalline in the fifth minute.
Umm Salal striker Yassin Bakhit, after outpacing two of his markers, drilled a left-foot shot that lacked pace and keeper Marwan Sherif pouched it with ease five minutes from the end of first half.
In injury time, Mohsin, after a cross from Escobar, fired a bullet a little distance from the edge of the box. The ball sailed past the outstretched hand of the goalkeeper and crashed into the right side of the net.
Early in the second half, Escobar attempted to deflect a loose ball in front of the goalkeeper but failed to tap the ball in from close range.
In the 68th minute, Bakhit, despite being heavily marked, charged into the Al Shamal box, but his tap from close range just flew above the crossbar.
After several hits and misses, Abdullah Khaled produced a slick snap-header on a long cross from the flank to send the ball crashing into the net.
Just before the final whistle, Bakhit missed a scoring chance from close range following a solo run into the Al Shamal box.
Al Arabi 0 vs Al Sadd 4
Date: Friday, October 1, 2021
Venue: Khalifa International Stadium
Reigning champions Al Sadd defeated Al Arabi 4-0 at the Khalifa International Stadium on Friday.
Baghdad Bounedjah (59th and 76th minutes), captain Hassan Al Haydous (61st minute) and Andrew Ayew (82nd-minute penalty) scored the goals as Al Sadd strengthened their position on top of the table with 15 points with an all-win record.
Strong contenders Al Duhail, who had also won all four of their matches, were not in action in Week 5 as their match against Al Wakrah was postponed to a later date due to the health measures that prevented Al Duhail players from participating in training and matches.
Al Arabi remained on nine points after suffering their second defeat. The Dream Team have won three matches.
Al Arabi proved good match for Al Sadd in the first half, but faded in the second.
Al Sadd had more of the chances and had a goal scored by Ali Asad disallowed because Bounedjah had committed a foul on Al Arabi’s Ahmed Fathi just before the goal was scored.
During the session, Al Sadd’s Bounedjah had his header went over the bar and had his shot come off the upright, while team-mate Andre Ayew’s shot was blocked by the Al Arabi defense.
Al Arabi captain Abdullah Marafi’s feeble shot was saved by goalkeeper Meshaal Barsham.
For Al Arabi, Yousef Msakni and Mehrdad Mohammadi too made efforts at scoring.
After a barren first half, the match came alive around the hour mark.
Bounedjah opened the scoring off a rebound from goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada, who fumbled with collection of a Abdelkarim Hassan long-range shot. The Algerian striker only had to tap the ball in with his head.
Al Haydous soon doubled the lead with a long-ranger off a pass from Akram Afif.
Mehrdad hit a rising shot against the left upright in the 65th minute.
Bounedjah had a goal ruled offside in the 74th minute, but he scored a second time a couple of minutes later as Akram provided him with the assist.
New recruit Ayew rounded off the tally by converting a penalty awarded after Fathy pulled down Akram.
Al Sailiya 0 vs Al Khor 0
Date: Friday, October 1, 2021
Venue: Khalifa International Stadium
Al Sailiya and Al Khor played out a goalless draw at the Khalifa International Stadium on Friday.
Al Sailiya raised their points to four and Al Khor three. The match began quickly, with Al Sailiya exerting strong pressure. In the 16th minute, they received a penalty kick after Al Khor defender Diab Haroun blocked Mohammed Salah El Neel. Referee Abdulrahman Al Jassim did not hesitate to point to the spot, but Iranian professional Ramin Rezaien fumbled with his penalty shot.
Al Sailiya continued to try to score the first goal and Norwegian Valentin Adama hit a powerful ball from outside the penalty area in the 19th minute, but it went past the near post.
Al Khor’s Naif Al Buriki almost scored by mistake during an attempt to clear one of the balls, but Baba Djibril saved it. As the minutes passed by, the first half ended without a goal.
In the second half, Al Khor took the initiative to put pressure on Al Sailiya, instead of adopting a cautious approach.
Al Khor midfielder Koo Ja-Cheol managed to score a goal with a powerful shot in the 53rd minute, but the referee canceled it after referring to VAR due to an error committed just before the goal was scored.
Al Khor continued to press, with Ismail Al Haddad, Al Mohannadi and Helal Mohammed being in charge, but Al Sailiya goalkeeper Claude Amine was on the alert.
As the match wore on, both sides had a series of missed opportunities.
The QNB QSL Week 6 round of matches will be played on Saturday, October 16 and Sunday, October 17, 2021, respectively.
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