Bounedjah nets seven as Al-Sadd defeat Al-Arabi 10-1

Al-Sadd rose to the top of the QNB Stars League table after notching up a stunning 10-1 win over Al-Arabi in the Round 2 clash that was played out at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium on Sunday evening. Baghdad Bounedjah was the undoubted star of the match, grabbing the headlines with a seven-goal show, while Akram Afif also impressed with a brace.

This result took Al-Sadd above Al-Duhail to the summit of the league table on goal difference, with both teams having six points each after two games.

Al-Arabi defender Mustafa Abdi set things rolling by heading into his own net in the 14th minute, giving Al-Sadd the lead. Afif then got on the scoresheet in the 25th minute with a scorching volley that left Al-Arabi keeper Masoud Zeraei with no chance at all.

In the 34th minute, Abdi tried to make amends for his earlier mishap by heading in at the other end and reduced the deficit for Al-Arabi to 2-1. However, Al-Sadd soon scored again to restore the two-goal cushion and this time it was Bounedjah who did the trick. The Algerian’s first goal of the evening came from the penalty spot in the 43rd minute, after having been felled in the box by Abdi.

In the second half, Al-Sadd came out of the tunnel with renewed vigour and goals came aplenty as a result of the repeated waves of attack they inflicted on Al-Arabi.

Bounedjah completed his hat-trick with two headers, first from a Hamid Ismail cross in the 47th minute before repeating the trick via Xavi’s delivery just three minutes later. With Al-Sadd cruising home courtesy of the 5-1 scoreline, Al-Arabi capitulated and Bounedjah would soon score his fourth and his team’s sixth goal.

After dribbling well on the right wing, Afif sent in a teasing squared ball for Bounedjah to tap in and the Algerian hitman made no mistake, making it 6-1 in the 62nd minute. Two minutes later, he scored again to increase the scoreline to 7-1.

Bounedjah just couldn’t stop scoring and he struck again in the 72nd minute, scoring his sixth of the match before Afif netted his second goal in the 85th minute. There was enough time to Bounedjah to put the icing on the cake and reach the magical number of ten goals for Al-Sadd, with a characteristic poacher’s finish in the 89th minute.

MATCH DETAILS

Al-Sadd x Al-Arabi

QNB Stars League Round 2

Venue:

Jassim bin Hamad Stadium

Lineups:

Al-Sadd: Meshaal Barsham, Ibrahim Majid, Hamid Ismail (Hassan Al-Haydos), Yasir Abubakar (Abdelkarim Hassan), Pedro Miguel, Xavi, Gabi, Khoukhi Boualem, Baghdad Bounedjah, Akram Afif, Ali Asad (Jung Woo-young)

Al-Arabi: Masoud Zeraei, Abdullah Maarifi, Ahmed Fathi, Mohammed Salem (Jasir Yahya), Diego Jardel, Mudir Abdrabou, Mohammed Salah, Mustafa Abdi, Mailson (Fahad Khalfan), Ahmed Ibrahim, Yaseen Yaqoob (Ali Mohammed)

Result:

Al-Sadd won 10-1

Goals:

Mustafa Abdi 14′ (OG)

Akram Afif 25′, 85′

Mustafa Abdi 34′

Baghdad Bounedjah 43′, 47′, 50, 62, 64′, 72′, 89′

Bookings:

Hamid Ismail 24′

Ibrahim Majid 33′

Mailson 39′

Referees:

Abdulrahman Al-Jassim (Main referee)

Taleb Salem (Linesman)

Saoud Ahmed (Linesman)

Majed Al-Shammari (Fourth official)

Abdullah Al-Athba (Additional)

Nayef Al-Qadri (Additional)