The Peninsula
Four goals from Baghdad Bounedjah including a hat-trick inside 28 minutes helped Al Sadd trounce Al Shahania 7-1 in the Round 2 match of the QNB Stars League at Al Sadd Stadium yesterday.
With two wins from an equal number of matches the reigning champions coached by Xavi Hernandez are two points above the chasing pack.
Besides Bounedjah, Hassan Al Haydous registered his 100th goal while Boualem khoukhi and Abdul Karim Hassan also scored one goal apiece for Al Sadd.
Ali Fereydoun scored a late consolation goal for Al Shahania.
Al Sadd started scoring in the 7th minute. A quickly taken short corner gave Akram Afif a chance to change the angle of his wicked cross which was too much for Shahania defence while Bounedjah, waiting at the far post, met it with a towering header.
Bounedjah made it 2-0 with consummate ease when he held off his marker before finding the target with a left footer in the 17th.
Boualem Khoukhi made it 3-0 in the 24th minute with a thumping right-footer from a tight angle. Four minutes later it was 4-0 as Bounedjah met Hassan Al Haydous’ beautiful diagonal pass into the box with his left foot and the ball rested in the net even though Salih Al Yahri got a touch to it..
Abdulkarim Hassan headed home Afif’s header in the 34th to make it 5-0.
Hassan Al Haidous made it 6-0 with a scorching freekick at the stroke of half time, his 100th goal for Al Sadd.
Bounedjah got his fourth in the 70th minute when he met Pedro’s cross from the right with a first-time finish that gave a hapless Khalifa Al Dossari in Shahania goal no chance.
Shahania scored a consolation five minutes later when Fereydoun took full advantage, to send a fierce right-footer past Saad Al Sheeb in Al Sadd goal.
In the other match yesterday, Al Ahli piled more pressure on Al Sailiya, defeating them convincingly by a 3-0 margin at the Al Janoub Stadium yesterday.
Abel Hernandez (40th and 71st minutes) and Abdullah Al Ahrak (66th minute) scored for Al Ahli, who collected their first points, having lost 1-3 to Al Arabi in Week 1.
On the other hand, Al Sailiya would rue the lost points as they were locked in a 1-1 draw with Al Khor in their opener. The Peregrines, who finished in a creditable third position last season, have yet to settle into their stride this time after making many changes to the squad.
Al Ahli dominated their rivals and had more of the opportunities in the first half.
The Brigadiers were rightly rewarded when Abel pounced on a faulty clearance by defender Hamad Al Abidi off a cross from the right by captain Nabil El Zhar.
El Zhar had a goal disallowed for offside 10 minutes into the match.
Al Sailiya’s Senegalese defender Serigne Mbodji, who showed enterprise in moving forward to the goal, was off-target, and Al Ahli’s Majed Mohammed and Abel missed the mark as the first half ended in a one-goal advantage for Al Ahli.
Al Sailiya were desperate to neutralise their opponents’ edge and their players showed more enthusiasm, but it was Al Ahli who struck two more goals.
Al Ahrak only had to tap in the ball to an open goal from close after El Zhar did all the hard work through the left goalline.
The winger even evaded goalkeeper Khalifa Aboobacker before crossing the ball to Al Ahrak.
Al Ahli put it beyond Al Sailiya’s reach when Abel nodded in a headed cross by Mohamad Al Abbassi from the right.