Alkass Digital
Al Duhail suffered a major setback in their title-defence campaign as they succumbed to an unexpected defeat against Umm Salal, in the 10th round of the Expo Stars League, yesterday.
At the Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium, Oussama Tannane’s stunning 64th-minute strike assured Al Duhail’s second loss of the season.
The first half ended goalless, with a VAR check overturning a penalty call for Al Duhail. Tannane’s long-range left-footed shot broke the deadlock, leaving Al Duhail stunned. Despite VAR disallowing Michael Olunga’s goal, Umm Salal resisted Al Duhail’s late efforts. The victory lifted Umm Salal to 14 points, while Al Duhail, with two pending matches, remained at 16 points as they were pushed to fourth position in the points table. They now trail leaders Al Sadd by a considerable six-point margin.
Al Sadd, meanwhile, secured a dominant 4-0 win over Al Shamal, putting the Red Knights in further danger in their hunt for the title.
Al Sadd seized the opportunity to claim the top spot in the Expo Stars League with the commanding win at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium. Gonzalo Plata produced a match-winning performance with goals in the 39th and 62nd minutes, complemented by contributions from Akram Afif (58th minute) and Baghdad Bounedjah (86th minute).
Both Al Sadd and Al Duhail have played two games less than their competitors due to their AFC Champion League commitments. Al Sadd and Al Gharafa are level on points with 22 each, but the latter has the opportunity to come atop again today, when they meet Al Wakrah at the Thani Bin Jassim Stadium, adding to the intense competition in the League. Umm Salal, on the other hand, rose to the sixth spot in the standings following their surprising triumph.
Earlier, Al Arabi defeated Al Markhiya by a 4-0 margin at the Grand Hamad Stadium.
Tunisian Yousef Msakni scored a brace (30, 45), while Rafinha Alcantara (70) and Omar Al Somah (90+1) added one each as Al Arabi earned the maximum points to take their tally to 12, while bottom-of-the-table Al Markhiya remained on three points.
EXPO STARS LEAGUE
YESTERDAY'S RESULTS
Al Markhiya 0-4 Al Arabi
Al Duhail 0-1 Umm Salal
Al Sadd 4-0 Al Shamal
TODAY
5:30pm: Al Gharafa vs Al Wakrah at Thani Bin Jassim Stadium
5:30pm: Qatar SC vs Muaither at Suhaim Bin Hamad Stadium
7:30pm: Al Ahli vs Al Rayyan at Hamad Bin Khalifa Stadium