AlKass Digital
Doha: Al Sadd overcame Al Khor 2-1 in the QNB Stars League match at the Al Khor Stadium yesterday.
Al Sadd striker Baghdad Bounedjah scored Al Sadd’s goals in the 16th and 86th minutes, while Wagner Ferreira found the target for Al Khor in the 70th minute.
With this win, their ninth in the league, Al Sadd moved to 29 points, while Al Khor stayed on eight points, having crashed to their ninth defeat.
Bounedjah took his personal tally to 21 goals on top of the scorers’ chart.
Al Sadd dominated the proceedings throughout the match sans a bit of early enthusiasm by the hosts. This despite that fact that they were without their midfielder and Spanish star Xavi Hernandez, who has been out due to a muscle injury.
Bounedjah spearheaded the Al Sadd attacks through the centre, ably supported by Hassan Al Haydous through the right. For Al Khor, Diogo Farias led the offensive.
Al Sadd created more opportunities and they were not to be denied for long. Bounedjah placed home a cross from the right by Al Haydous.
Al Khor were unlucky to miss a penalty when Diogo’s shot from the spot was collected by Saad Al Dossari. The penalty was awarded when Bounedjah fouled Wagner inside the box.
After Hamed Ismail’s shot was parried by Al Khor goalkeeper Mohammed Al Bakri, Akram Afif sent the ball narrowly wide of the post towards the end of first half.
The game really came to life in the second session, with Al Khor upping the ante.
They succeeded in equalising as Diogo made amends for his penalty lapse by crossing the ball for Wagner to score.
Just when it looked like a 1-1 draw came Al Sadd’s winner, with Bounedjah heading in substitute Jung Woo-Young’s cross from the left as Al Bakri had left his charge.
The match was rescheduled from Week 5 due to Al Sadd’s engagements in the 2018 AFC Champions League, where they lost out to Iran’s Persepolis on aggregate in the semifinals.