Al-Sadd come from behind to defeat Al-Gharafa 2-1

In what was the first home game of the season, Al-Sadd defeated Al-Gharafa 2-1 in Round 3 of the QNB Stars League. The result keeps Al-Sadd joint top of the league table alongside Al-Duhail, with 9 points from 3 games.

Al-Gharafa took the lead with a 29th minute penalty that was scored by Luis Jimenez. Al-Sadd equalized through Khoukhi Boualem in the 56th minute before Morteza Pouraliganji made it 2-1 with a header in the 86th minute.

The first real chance of the game fell to Al-Sadd in the 15th minute, when Jugurtha Hamroun succesfully dribbled his way to edge of the box but the Al-Gharafa defender intervened at the right time to clear the danger.

Al-Sadd had further chances to score with Boualem’s header from Fahad Shanin’s cross landing safely in the hands of Al-Gharafa keeper Qasim Burhan. A few minutes later, Al-Sadd went behind. The referee awarded Al-Gharafa a penalty after Salem Al-Hajri was adjudged to have fouled Vladimir Weiss in the box. Jimenez stepped up and scored past Saad Al-Dosari to give his side the breakthrough.

The Wolves went on the offensive in search for the equalizer but the Al-Gharafa defenders stood firm and held on until the halftime whistle, going into the tunnel carrying a 1-0 lead.

Al-Gharafa were hit by a sending off right after the beginning of the second half when Ilyas Ahmed picked up a second yellow card. As for Al-Sadd, they came into the second half with a change – Ali Asad replaced Fahad Shanin and played as an attacking midfielder alongside Xavi while Yasser Abubakar retreated to the left back position.

Khoukhi Boualem had moved up and taken up the forward position and the move paid off in style when he scored in the 56th minute. After picking up a pass from Xavi in the box, he got past a defender and finished past Qasem Burhan to equalize for Al-Sadd.

Al-Sadd continued to look for another goal and it duly came late on with Morteza Pouraliganji netting in the 86th minute. The Iranian defender got into the box and headed in a cross from Hassan Al-Haydos to score his first goal of the season and give Al-Sadd a 2-1 lead.

Al-Sadd then held on to register their third successive win of the campaign.

MATCH DETAILS

Al-Sadd x Al-Gharafa (QNB Stars League)

Lineups:

Al-Sadd: Saad Al-Dosari, Pedro Miguel, Yasser Abubakar, Jugurtha Hamroun (Ahmed Sayyar), Xavi, Musab Kheder (Meshaal Al-Shammari), Hassan Al-Haydos, Fahad Shanin (Ali Asad), Boualem Khoukhi, Salem Al-Hajri, Morteza Pouraliganji

Al-Gharafa: Qasem Burhan, Almahdi Ali, Robert Quijada, Yousef Muftah (Munqez Muhammad), Luis Jimenez, Othman Al-Yahri, Ahmed Alaa, Khaled Abdulrauf (Tamer Jamal), Diego Amado, Vladimir Weiss (Amro Seraj), Ilyas Ahmed

Result:

Al-Sadd won 2-1

Goals:

29′ Luis Jimenez (P)

56′ Khoukhi Boualem

86′ Morteza Pouraliganji

Bookings:

Musab Kheder 9′

Ilyas Ahmad 14′, 48′ (Red card)

Quijada 22′

Ahmed Alaa 38′

Hassan Al-Haydos 57′

Jugurtha Hamroun 80′

Referees

Khamees Al-Kuwari (Main referee)

Zahi Al-Shammari (Linesman)

Majed Al-Shammari (Linesman)

Taleb Salem (Fourth official)

Mohammed Nasser (Additional)

Khamees Al-Marri (Additional)